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LEARN MOREPresident Trump Will Decide If Internet Providers Can Sell User Data
Trump will decide on internet security after both chambers of Congress passed a bill undoing an Obama-era law protecting internet user data.
President Trump Will Decide If Internet Providers Can Sell User Data
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March 28, 2017
President Donald Trump is expected to sign a bill allowing internet providers to sell user data after both the House and Senate voted to undo Obama-era rules that were meant to protect internet users' privacy.
The regulations weren't even in effect yet. But they would have required your internet service provider — or ISP — to ask permission before selling your web history, location and general activity.
But Republicans argued that was an overreach in internet regulation. Companies like Facebook and YouTube already freely collect and monetize user data. So why not ISPs?
Privacy advocates argue that while it's easy to keep certain websites from collecting your data simply by not visiting their page, it's not as easy to switch internet providers.
Internet users are often required to sign a contract to get internet access. And in some areas, there are only one or two internet providers to choose from.
It is possible to hide from your ISP by routing your internet traffic through a virtual private network, or VPN. But those services are less regulated than ISPs and can come with risks of their own.
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