Hainsworth letter: Broadband

I was disappointed by Rep. Raul Labrador’s vote to repeal the FCC’s broadband privacy rules.

Without regulation, Internet Service Providers can monitor their customers’ behavior online, and sell their personal and financial data without permission. While it is easy to avoid websites with privacy policies you don’t agree with, it is much harder with ISPs. The necessarily cable infrastructure is a high barrier to market entry, and many Americans only have a choice of one or two companies in their area.

As a leading conservative voice and founder of the Freedom Caucus, Labrador has consistently spoken out against the growth of the federal government and in the protection of individual rights. In 2013, he did the right thing by attacking the NSA for violating one of our most basic freedoms, the right to privacy. But allowing violation from private companies is just as bad and should be equally condemned.

This story was originally published April 11, 2017 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Hainsworth letter: Broadband."