Last year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) pushed through new privacy regulations for home Internet and broadband providers that were designed to require consumers to opt in before providers could sell or share their browsing history, app usage, and other private information with advertisers and other companies. These new rules were well-intentioned, but they conflicted with the existing privacy framework put forth by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). As a result, the FCC and FTC will need to work together to ensure consistent, comprehensive privacy practices — at least until Congress decides whether or not it wants to overhaul the Telecommunications Act completely.
Online privacy regulations are complex, and they’re likely to be in flux for some time to come, but this high-level overview of the current situation and its implications is a good primer.
In the meantime, Xantrion recommends educating yourself and your employees about how your information can be used and how you can control it, from reading the privacy policies of the sites and applications you use to using a virtual private network (VPN), which shields the details of your online activity from your ISP by routing it through other systems. And, of course, we can help you set up the tools and processes you need to keep your company’s information private. Contact us to find out more.