Published By: National Public Radio, 3/28/2017

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Summary

Rules made in October by the Federal Commercial Commission (FCC) are expected to be overturned by Congress and President Trump. These rules would have regulated how Internet Service Providers (ISPs) collected and used data from users, by giving users more control over what information ISPs collect. This rule set would not apply to websites and app providers, like Facebook or Google. However, critics of the overturn argue that it is much more difficult for users to choose to avoid ISPs if they do not wish to be tracked.

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of Article: 11.4

Extended Discussion Questions

• What are some of the pros and cons of marketers targeting advertisements based on data collected about a consumer’s Internet browsing history?
  • …for you?
  • …for the businesses placing the ads?
• Besides the ways mentioned in the article, how else might you protect your privacy online?
• Should a person’s online data (such as browsing history) be considered private like a conversation between two individuals in their home, or should that data be considered public as a conversation between two individuals in a public park?
• Should legislation focus on the collection of data, or should it focus on the use and sharing of the data?

Global Impact Learning Objectives:

• LO 7.3.1 Analyze the beneficial and harmful effects of computing.

Global Impact Essential Knowledge:

• EK 7.1.1N The Internet and the Web have changed many areas, including e-commerce, health care, access to information and entertainment, and online learning.
•  EK 7.3.1G Privacy and security concerns arise in the development and use of computational systems and artifacts.
• EK 7.3.1H Aggregation of information, such as geolocation, cookies, and browsing history, raises privacy and security concerns.
• EK 7.3.1J Technology enables the collection, use, and exploitation of information about, by, and for individuals, groups, and institutions.

Other CSP Big Ideas:

• Idea 6 The Internet

Banner Image: “Network Visualization – Violet – Offset Crop“, derivative work by ICSI. New license: CC BY-SA 4.0. Based on “Social Network Analysis Visualization” by Martin Grandjean. Original license: CC BY-SA 3.0.