The LGBT Technology Partnership (LGBT Tech) sent a letter yesterday to the FCC saying it is troubled with the Commission’s proposal to unlock pay TV set-top boxes.
“LGBT Tech is seriously concerned that the proposal permits third parties to gather, use and disseminate private information about viewers, including sensitive personal and aggregate information from members of the LGBT community,” Carlos Gutierrez, the group’s head of legal and policy affairs, says.
“Allowing third parties to unilaterally decide how to bundle, promote and exhibit ‘niche’ and minority content, such as content created by and for the LGBT community, while at the same time allowing these third parties to ‘self-certify’ their compliance with privacy rules, would put at risk consumers who have come to rely on these rules for the protection of their private data,” Gutierrez adds.
LGBT Tech also states that it is concerned that the proposed regulations could have significant unintended consequences for minority and diverse programmers, especially those that focus on communities such as the LGBT community.
“The FCC’s proposal would result in independent programmers losing control over how their content is presented, potentially resulting in diminished placement, exposure and revenues. LGBT Tech urges the Commission to take these concerns into consideration and to pursue a different path toward a video policy that truly protects consumer privacy, fosters innovation and enables independent programmers to provide the quality shows their audiences demand,” the letter says.
LGBT Tech is reportedly encouraging the FCC to endorse the apps-based model described in the DSTAC expert report.
Filed Under: Industry regulations