Roll up, roll up, private browsing histories for sale!

Last Tuesday the US Congress moved to repeal online privacy protection rules created by the Obama administration - a move that makes it more likely that personal browsing histories will be sold to, and used by, marketers.

The rules, which were due to take effect this year, would have required internet providers to get permission before collecting and selling a customer’s online information, including browsing activities.

So what's the big deal?

Whilst the new rules had yet to be affected, and IP's have always been able to view your browsing activities, these rules were designed to provide you with a say over whether your history was able to be sold.

Without these rules it is , I believe, a matter of time before our browsing histories will be sold to those marketers who value the personal information they contain - in essence a window into your likes, dislikes, personal inclinations and proclivities.

I am not an apologist for regulation but the prospect of an infinite number of marketing organisations having access to this personal information and subsequently using it to bombard me with what they consider to be information of interest is a step too far - our physical movements are increasingly scrutinised by CCTV now it would seem our virtual movements will be too. Not by those who would seek to protect us but by those who seek to manipulate our behaviour.

If we thought the last US election was affected by malfeasance, imagine the fun the Russians are going to have at the next elections - rampant distribution of misinformation, alternative facts is on its way.

#onlineprivacyprotectionrules