Google Worked With Comcast to Kill California Privacy Bill Google, Facebook, Comcast and other large ISPs teamed up to kill a California bill intended to protect broadband user privacy in the state. The law was intended to replace FCC broadband privacy rules killed by the GOP and Trump administration earlier this year that would have forced companies like Comcast to transparently indicate how your private data is being sold -- and who it's being sold to. It also would have banned ISPs from charging you significantly more money to opt out of such data collection, an idea already explored by both Comcast and AT&T.

The EFF had previously praised the law as an excellent template for states interested in standing up to giant ISPs and protecting broadband consumer privacy, but California politicians sent a very clear message this wasn't something they were on board with, In a new blog post, the organization highlights how Google, Facebook, and large ISPs like Comcast teamed up to spread massive amounts of false information regarding what the proposed law would do. "Through their proxy the Internet Association, which also represents companies like Airbnb, Amazon, Etsy, Expedia, LinkedIn, Netflix, Twitter, Yelp, and Zynga, among others -- Google and Facebook locked arms with AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast to oppose this critical legislation," notes the group. "What is worse, they didn’t just oppose the bill, but lent their support to a host of misleading scare tactics." Tactics included claims that meaningful broadband privacy protections would aid nazis and other forms of extremism, would somehow magically inundate consumers with errant pop ups (something the group had debunked in a previous post), and wound hinder ISP ability to cooperate with law enforcement. Absolutely none of those claims were true. Of course if you've watched as Google's previous support for net neutrality has all but evaporated since 2010 as the company has grown larger and more powerful, that shouldn't come as any real surprise. The EFF, meanwhile, says it will work harder in 2018 to combat the disinformation Google and its newfound telecom industry BFFs have been spreading. "In 2018, we plan to make sure that every legislator who was bamboozled by companies like Google, Facebook, Comcast, and AT&T is given the facts," states the group. "We are confident that lawmakers in states around the nation will continue to push for consumer privacy, filling the gaps created by the Federal Communications Commission as it rolls back network neutrality and privacy protections and AT&T’s efforts in the courts to eliminate the Federal Trade Commission’s authority to oversee telephone companies." "In 2018, we plan to make sure that every legislator who was bamboozled by companies like Google, Facebook, Comcast, and AT&T is given the facts," states the group. "We are confident that lawmakers in states around the nation will continue to push for consumer privacy, filling the gaps created by the Federal Communications Commission as it rolls back network neutrality and privacy protections and AT&T’s efforts in the courts to eliminate the Federal Trade Commission’s authority to oversee telephone companies."







News Jump Charter Relaunches Free 60-day Internet And Wi-Fi Offer; NCTA: FCC Should Stick With 25/3 Speed Threshold; + more news Comcast Shuts Off Internet for Subs Who Were Sold Service Illegally; AT&T, Verizon Team To Stop T-Mobile 5G; + more news California Defends Its Net Neutrality Law; AT&T's Traffic Up 20% Despite Data Traffic Actually Being Down; + more news Are The Comcast-Charter X1 Talks Dead In The Water?; AT&T May Offer Phone Plans With Ads For Discounts; + more news Europe's Top Court: Net Neutrality Rules Bar Zero Rating; ViacomCBS To Rebrand CBS All Access As Paramount+; + more news Verizon To Buy Reseller TracFone For $7B; 5G Not The Competitive Threat To Cable Many Thought It Would Be; + more news MS.Wants Records From AT&T On $300M Project; Google Fiber Outages In Austin, Houston, Other Texan Cities; + more news States With The Biggest Decreases In Speed; AT&T Hopes You'll Forget Its Fight Against Accurate Maps; + more news AT&T's CEO Has A Familiar $olution To US Broadband Woes; EarthLink Files Suit Against Charter; + more news 5G Doesn't Live Up To Hype, AT&T's 5G Slower Than Its 4G; Cord-Cutting Now In 37% of Broadband Households; + more news ---------------------- this week last week most discussed

Most recommended from 24 comments



jap

Premium Member

join:2003-08-10

038xx 13 recommendations jap Premium Member As usual... The 'Do No Evil' slogan vanished with the IPO.

TIGERON

join:2008-03-11

Boston, MA 12 recommendations TIGERON Member Whatever... None of these corporations have your best interests. sd70mac

Premium Member

join:2015-10-18

Woodstock, IL 6 recommendations sd70mac Premium Member Disappointing but not surprising. Disappointing but not surprising.



Unfortunately, corporate interests don't always align with public interests.

woody7

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join:2000-10-13

Torrance, CA 2 recommendations woody7 Premium Member hmm............ D Bags, I thought here in Ca it would be different...................../

pclover

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Santa Cruz, CA 2 recommendations pclover Member Are you really supprised? When the core of your business model is being threatened your likely to put up a fight.