Internet Providers Now Need Your Blessing To Use Your Personal Info

Your internet provider now needs your permission to use and share your personal information.

Thanks to new privacy rules passed by the Federal Communications Commission, providers will need "opt-in consent" to get their hands on customers' browsing history, health and financial information, app usage, and other data.

And if you do give consent, the provider still has to tell you exactly how your information is being used and who it's been shared with. 

The rules also require providers to take "reasonable measures" to protect sensitive information.

SEE MORE: How A Single Attack Can Take Down A Big Chunk Of The Internet

As the FCC said in a statement, "The rules ensure broadband customers have meaningful choice, greater transparency and strong security protections for their personal information collected by ISPs."

Until the FCC's vote on Thursday, there were no restrictions in place on what data internet providers could access and who they could share it with.

The new measures are definitely a big blow to big providers like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast, who The Washington Post says wanted to use their customers' data to "build lucrative businesses by targeting advertising across multiple devices."

The new rules will officially go into effect after they are published in the Federal Register, which could take a few months.