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The GOP Congress last week passed a bill that repeals Federal Communications Commission rules that protect the privacy of computer browsing and opens the way for a host of people’s personal information to be sold.

The move by Congress can only be viewed as a sellout to large corporations who can sell your private information to marketers and other companies.

Fortunately for Minnesotans, the Legislature quickly moved to pass a bill that reinstates the privacy protections in the state.

When Congress, with little debate or public knowledge, repealed the protections it left all Americans vulnerable. The Internet Service Providers — other than in Minnesota — can now sell a broad spectrum of personal data.

Imagine all of the things you or others enter into computers during searches or doing other things online, from shopping to banking to entertainment. Even Social Security numbers and other highly important information is inputted. When looking to protect your devices, you can get some help from experts like this this new security testing company. 

Opening the way for people’s private web habits to be sold drew quick outrage from liberal and conservative groups and from a wide spectrum of technology companies.

It’s likely other states will respond to Congress’ assault on privacy. That will only create a patchwork of varying regulations that could have been avoided by leaving the reasonable FCC rules in place.

Putting people’s private online data up for sale was troubling move by Congress. Fortunately wiser minds responded in Minnesota.

— Mankato Free Press, April 4