{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.countable.us/bill/photo/hr2520-115/featured_balancing-the-rights-of-web-surfers-equally-and-responsibly-act-of-2017-1503425381.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.countable.us/bill/photo/hr2520-115/featured_large_balancing-the-rights-of-web-surfers-equally-and-responsibly-act-of-2017-1503425381.jpg","shareable":"https://n.countable.us/share-images/bills/hr2520-115.png"},"introduced_on":"2017-05-18","title_override":"Should the Federal Trade Commission be in Charge of Enforcing Internet Privacy Regulations?","summary_override":"

This bill — known as the BROWSER Act — would let the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforce information privacy rules on all internet service providers (ISPs) and edge service providers that collect and sell their users’ data. Users would have to opt-in before sensitive information could be shared under the protections.

Users would have to opt-in and give express consent before ISPs and edge service providers can use the following types of sensitive information that is:

Financial information;
Health information;
About children under 13;
Social Security numbers;
Precise geo-location information;
Content of communications;
Web browsing history;
History of usage of a software program or mobile application.

ISPs and edge service providers would have to get opt-out approval for the use of non-sensitive user information, meaning that users wouldn’t object after they’re notified about privacy policies. Service providers must allow users to grant, deny, or withdraw approval at any time.

A service provider would be allowed to use information without approval for specified purposes, including for services necessary for provision of the service and to initiate, render, bill, and collect for the service. Providers would be prohibited from conditioning service on a user’s agreement to waive privacy rights.

The bill’s full title is the Balancing the Rights Of Web Surfers Equally and Responsibly Act of 2017.

","official_title":"To require providers of broadband internet access service and edge services to clearly and conspicuously notify users of the privacy policies of such providers, to give users opt-in or opt-out approval rights with respect to the use of, disclosure of, and access to user information collected by such providers based on the level of sensitivity of such information, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Balancing the Rights Of Web Surfers Equally and Responsibly Act of 2017","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Balancing the Rights Of Web Surfers Equally and Responsibly Act of 2017 or the BROWSER Act of 2017\n\nThis bill authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to enforce information privacy protections that require broadband Internet access services and certain websites or mobile applications providing subscription, account, purchase, or search engine services to allow users to opt-in or opt-out of the use, disclosure, or access to their user information depending on the sensitivity of the information.\n\nOpt-in approval through the user's express consent must be obtained for the use of sensitive information that is:\n\n financial information, health information, about children under 13, Social Security numbers, precise geo-location information, content of communications, web browsing history, or history of usage of a software program or mobile application. Opt-out approval must be provided for the use of non-sensitive user information under a method in which users are deemed to have consented if th...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Internet users; ISPs and edge providers; and the FTC & FCC.","argument_for":"The FCC’s internet privacy regulations unfairly ignored edge service providers in their oversight of ISPs. This bill would create a level playing field for providers and ensure that consumers have the ability to keep their sensitive and non-sensitive personal information private.","argument_against":"This bill would end the FCC’s authority to enforce internet privacy rules and transition that authority to the Federal Trade Commission. The consumer privacy protections in this bill don’t go far enough to prevent companies from selling sensitive user information.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr2520-115","bill_id":"hr2520-115","formal_id":"H.R. 2520","chamber":"house","congress":115,"last_action_at":"2017-05-19T00:00:00.000Z","active":false,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":null,"debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th/house-bill/2520","plain_text_url":"https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-115hr2520ih/html/BILLS-115hr2520ih.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.countable.us/share-images/bills/hr2520-115.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th/house-bill/2520/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2017-05-18","related_bill_ids":[],"progress":"Introduced","house_passage_result":false,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":301,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Energy and Commerce","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSIF","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Consumer Protection and Commerce","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSIF17","subcommittee":true}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr2520-115","details":"/api/bills/hr2520-115/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr2520-115","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr2520-115/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr2520-115/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":7,"slug":"hr2520-115-balancing-the-rights-of-web-surfers-equally-and-responsibly-act-of-2017","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":2462,"yea_vote_count":864,"nay_vote_count":1588,"passed_house":false,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["economy"],"issue_ids":["budgets","economy","consumer-safety","internet"],"sponsor_id":492}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"budgets","name":"Budgets","slug":"budgets","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Budgets. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about.","page_title":"Budgets Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/budgets/black_budgets-1429042067.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/budgets/grey_budgets-1429042067.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/budgets/white_budgets-1429042067.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"economy","name":"Economy","slug":"economy","description":"The US Economy is heavily impacted by Federal legislation. Here you can find bills encompassing US monetary policy, the US Federal Budget, overall government spending, appropriations and how we handle the US federal debt and state finances. ","page_title":"Legislation related to the US Economy, monetary policy, the federal budget and government spending - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/economy/black_economy-1429042041.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/economy/grey_economy-1429042041.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/economy/white_economy-1429042041.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"consumer-safety","name":"Consumer Safety","slug":"consumer-safety","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding consumer safety. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Consumer Safety Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/consumer-safety/black_consumer-safety-1429042054.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/consumer-safety/grey_consumer-safety-1429042054.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/consumer-safety/white_consumer-safety-1429042054.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"internet","name":"Internet","slug":"internet","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Internet. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Internet Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/internet/black_internet-1429042050.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/internet/grey_internet-1429042050.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/internet/white_internet-1429042050.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"ClydeK","vote_count":536,"photos":{"large":"https://countable-us.s3.amazonaws.com/user/avatar/default-2.png","small":"https://countable-us.s3.amazonaws.com/user/avatar/default-2.png","tiny":"https://countable-us.s3.amazonaws.com/user/avatar/default-2.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/790G7lGm/following","followers":"/api/users/790G7lGm/followers"},"about_me":"Retired. 40 plus years as an Engineer split between Northrop Grumman and civilian in the U. S. Air Force. Worked as a Prgram Manager and Project Engineer. Engineering specialty is Software. BS in Physics. Veteran with 2 years service in the Army from 1966 to 1968. Worked as a research phyicist on body armor materials. 2 years experience as a Geophysical Engineer in petroleum exploration. Married with 6 children. Born and raised in Oklahoma. Fiscal conservative with more moderate positions on immigration, abortion, refugees, etc. I try to evaluate b9c.bleach in bbbeach issue on all available facts and mCNN minformation.hl6cvhbbjbkg c","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"clydek","issue_count":0,"is_following":null,"influence_score":180,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":6,"following_count":6,"position_count":161,"id":"790G7lGm","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"fd94de80-3af0-49af-bbc8-1705aeb24e9a","argument_for":null,"argument_against":"This bill does not seem to make any sense. If there are issues that need to be corrected with the Internet and its regulation, why would you fix that by moving the problem from the FCC to the FTC. Correct these problems in the FCC. I do not support this legislation and request tou vote against it.","show_argument_for":false,"show_argument_against":true,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":null,"upvotes_against_count":0,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.countable.us/positions/fd94de80-3af0-49af-bbc8-1705aeb24e9a"},"body":"This bill does not seem to make any sense. If there are issues that need to be corrected with the Internet and its regulation, why would you fix that by moving the problem from the FCC to the FTC. Correct these problems in the FCC. I do not support this legislation and request tou vote against it.","stance":"nay","created_at":"2018-02-28T18:19:13.565Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.countable.us/share-images/positions/fd94de80-3af0-49af-bbc8-1705aeb24e9a.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr2520-115","user_id":"790G7lGm","endorser_ids":[]}}

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Should the Federal Trade Commission be in Charge of Enforcing Internet Privacy Regulations?