SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Congress sent President Trump legislation that would allow internet service providers to sell their customer's browsing history to advertisers or other third party interests.
The measure rolls back Federal Communication Commission regulations adopted in the final days of the Obama administration.
Vernon Brown, with SDN Communications in Sioux Falls, compares the internet to a brick-and-mortar library. Brown says when you check out a book, the librarians have acces to the material you are taking with you.
Similarly, he says, Google and Facebook have access to what users check out on their sites. He says the measure goes a step further by allowing the internet service provider to look at your entire browsing history.
Brown doesn't anticipate that the data from every individual will be identified immediately. He doesn't think it will be condensed to one individual but rather will be "all put together and analyzed anonymously."
But he says the proof will be in the pudding whether the providers keep the history anonymous or whether it eventually gets down to the individual and he thinks that's where the privacy rub will be.
Brown adds that we shouldn't expect our online browsing to be very private. He says it's pretty well established that we're always being watched and that assumption is valid at work or at home.
He says many phone calls are travelling over the internet and those will be included too.
News reports indicate that President Trump is likely to sign the bill.