Consumer Groups Seek Hearing on District ISP Privacy Bill

Privacy advocates supported an ISP privacy bill in the District of Columbia Council. Countering President Donald Trump’s repeal of FCC broadband privacy rules, the bill would require carriers to get opt-in consent from customers about use and sharing of sensitive personal data and opt-out consent for nonsensitive private information (see 1707120053). In a Monday letter, the American Civil Liberties Union of D.C., Consumers Union and others urged D.C. Council Business and Economic Development Chair Kenyan McDuffie (D) to hold a hearing on B22-0403. After national Republicans repealed FCC broadband privacy rules, “it is incumbent upon local governments to fill that gap in protections for consumers,” the groups wrote. Like the FCC rules, the D.C. bill “essentially codifies existing business practices,” they said. “The public wants these protections.” A similar bill in California failed last week; several other state ISP privacy bills also failed to make it to the finish line this year.