PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island state legislators are considering protections for broadband privacy.
Legislation pending in the state’s General Assembly is designed to protect residents from disclosure of personally identifiable online information by commercial websites or internet service providers.
Rep. Evan Shanley, a Warwick Democrat who sponsored the bill, says it’s a response to the repeal earlier this year of Obama administration rules that would have imposed tight restrictions on what broadband companies such as Verizon, AT&T and Comcast could do with their customers’ personal data.
Several states have started writing their own legislation to protect broadband privacy after Republicans in Congress voted to repeal regulations that would have required internet providers to obtain their customers’ consent about data use.
Shanley’s bill was held for further study after its first hearing in April.
Filed Under: Industry regulations
