Internet providers collect 'staggering' amounts of data -U.S. FTC chair
Reuters
Published Oct 21, 2021 03:52PM ET
Updated Oct 21, 2021 05:31PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Internet service providers collect a "staggering" amount of detailed data on consumers, Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan said on Thursday in discussing an agency staff report on information collected by major providers like AT&T (NYSE:T) and Verizon (NYSE:VZ) Wireless.
"We intend this report to be the continuation of an ongoing discussion about commercial data practices, and user privacy," said Khan, who noted that the data collected could also crop up as an issue in merger reviews.
For the report, the FTC requested information from AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Charter, Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA)'s Xfinity, Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Inc.'s Google Fiber and T-Mobile as well as advertising firms associated with AT&T and Verizon.
The agency staff found that some companies collected data about browsing histories, what is streamed, sensitive characteristics like race and sexual orientation and real-time location, which it found were sometimes shared with third parties.
The report also found that some ISPs kept consumer data for a set period of time but others said they kept it as long as needed.
"The report found that even in instances where internet service providers purported to offer customers some choice with respect to how their data was collected or used, in practice users were often thwarted by design decisions that made it complicated, difficult or near impossible to actually escape persistent tracking," Khan said.
The FTC took oversight of ISPs in 2017 from the Federal Communications Commission. Khan, however, said she would "fully support efforts to reassert that authority."
Comcast has said that it does not track what websites users visit or apps that consumers use on broadband connections.Google and Verizon declined comment while the others did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Get The News You Want
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.