Verizon, AT&T tell courts: FCC can't punish us for selling user location data
(arstechnica.com)47 points by mikece 4 days ago | 10 comments
47 points by mikece 4 days ago | 10 comments
more_corn 3 days ago | root | parent | next |
They can feel all they want. If it’s not against the law it’s not against the law.
Call your congressman and ask for comprehensive federal personal data protections. Specifically, make it illegal for companies to sell your personal data or data about your behavior or habits.
Warn them that companies profiting from it will oppose it, but that the people need it.
The advertising industry worked just fine before deep targeting and would survive after it was impossible due to real data protection laws.
CSSer 3 days ago | root | parent |
I’ve been jumping up and down saying this for the past few years. It’s so important. This is a perfect example of a problem that needs a legislative solution. The lack of one has created quagmires like TikTok that wouldn’t be a problem if we didn’t try to pretend it’s okay for domestic companies to take advantage of us either.
jshier 4 days ago | root | parent | prev |
Or corporations having the same constitutional rights they do.
wahern 4 days ago | root | parent |
FWIW, the 7th Amendment doesn't speak directly to individual rights of the person: "In Suits at common law... the right of trial by jury shall be preserved". It's a right of parties in a court case, which even in the 18th century could be corporations.
Many portions of the US Constitution speak to "person", "persons", and "people", such as the 14th Amendment. And the 14th Amendment is often used to preempt state powers, for example making state governments subject to the 1st Amendment Freedom of Speech provision. But the 7th Amendment has never been incorporated against the states. An appeal to the 7th Amendment in a federal court case doesn't really touch upon the debate of corporate personhood, at least not the academic debate. Though, there may be other aspects of the case that do.
Sabinus 4 days ago | prev | next |
I wonder what storied man-of-the-people and "very stable genius" Donald Trump will have to say on this matter?
Will his FCC chair appointment be on the side of the people, or will there be another 'unfortunate accident' of Trump hiring another generic pro-corporate-explotation Republican?
Only time will tell.
tw04 4 days ago | root | parent |
It’s looking like a project 2025 author, which is shocking, really.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/11/trumps-likely-fc...
tpurves 4 days ago | root | parent |
Indeed. Imagine Ajit Pai but now 3 steps further to the right, and emboldened to punish media and communication companies who don't do enough to promote "conservative speech". It's all in Project 2025 and beyond Orwellian. They are planning to take pages right out of Putin and Xe's media control playbook. We've already seen the likes of Besos pre-emotively complying before Trump was even elected.
hnthrowaway0328 4 days ago | prev | next |
"What about the Treasury's interpretation?"
"It didn't seem appropriate."
more_corn 3 days ago | prev |
Because it’s not illegal? But certainly should be.
itopaloglu83 4 days ago | next |
> Verizon and AT&T both said the fines violate their Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial, and that the location data doesn't fall under the law cited by the FCC.
I wonder how a jury would feel about their private information being sold without their consent.