H.R. 2520, introduced Thursday by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), would require Internet service providers as well as "edge" providers like Google, Netflix, Facebook and Amazon to clearly and conspicuously inform consumers about how their data is used.
The bill also requires companies to give users the right to opt out of having non-sensitive data disclosed, and requires companies to obtain opt-in consent before sharing sensitive information -- including Web browsing history.* No Senators have yet proposed a companion bill, according to Axios.
The FCC passed broadband privacy rules in 2015, but they were repealed by Congress before taking effect. Those rules would have required broadband providers to obtain subscribers' opt-in consent before drawing on their Web-browsing activity for ad targeting.
The FCC's rules would only have applied to broadband providers like Comcast and Verizon, but not edge providers like Google, Amazon, or ad networks. Edge providers typically allow consumers to opt out of receiving targeted ads, but don't require opt-in consent unless they plan to serve ads based on a narrow category of "sensitive" data -- like financial account numbers or health information.
