How ISPs can sell your Web history—and how to stop them
The legal changes all stem from the FCC’s decision in February 2015 to reclassify home and mobile ISPs as common carriers. The reclassification had numerous effects: it allowed the FCC to impose net neutrality rules, but it also stripped the Federal Trade Commission of its authority over ISPs because the FTC’s charter from Congress prohibits the agency from regulating common carriers.
.. Before the February 2015 reclassification, ISPs could have been punished by the FTC for violating customers’ privacy. But following the FTC rules wasn’t too onerous—the FTC recommends opt-in consent before selling or sharing the most sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, the content of communications, financial and health information, information about children, and precise geo-location data. But ISPs could use an opt-out system for everything else, including Web browsing and app usage history.
.. The most prominent example of an ISP monetizing customers’ browsing history comes from AT&T. Starting in 2013, AT&T charged fiber Internet customers at least $29 extra each month unless they opted in to a system that scanned customers’ Internet traffic in order to deliver personalized ads.