On Friday, the FCC put out a statement indicating Chairman Ajit Pai is aiming to suspend some of the major portions of an Obama-era privacy rule that many cable and wireless operators panned as unfair.
“Chairman Pai believes that the best way to protect the online privacy of American consumers is through a comprehensive and uniform regulatory framework,” the statement says. “All actors in the online space should be subject to the same rules, and the federal government shouldn’t favor one set of companies over another.”
Pai is advocating a “technology-neutral privacy framework” that better harmonizes the Commission’s privacy rules for broadband providers with the FTC’s standards for others in the digital economy.
“Unfortunately, one of the previous administration’s privacy rules that is scheduled to take effect on March 2 is not consistent with the FTC’s privacy standards,” the statement continues. “Therefore, Chairman Pai is seeking to act on a request to stay this rule before it takes effect on March 2.”
It further notes that if the FCC commissioners decide to cast their votes by March 2, then the full Commission will decide the stay request. “If not, then the Wireline Competition Bureau will stay that one element of the privacy rules pending a full Commission vote on the pending petitions for reconsideration consistent with past practice,” the statement concludes.
The NCTA – The Internet & Television Association has been among the vocal opponents of the privacy rule. More on that is here.
Filed Under: Industry regulations