McCain and Kerry help your Internet privacy
Privacy is a major concern for me. I bet it is for you too, it seems like everywhere you turn there is a story about someone getting their identity stolen, government spying or scam artists stealing your personal information. I’m especially worried about it because I put my name out there for people to see.
Fortunately we have seen the government take some essential steps toward protecting your privacy with the McCain-Kerry act. Also known as the Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2011, this law is designed to protect you from online spies that are trying to steal and sell your information for marketing and tracking purposes.
The bill allows you to ‘opt-out’ of the tracking devices that watch your every move on the internet and then sell your information and browsing habits to advertisers. Here are some highlights of the bill:
- Opt-outs: you’ll be able to tell companies and marketers that you don’t want to be tracked. This is standard practice for many reputable companies now, but under this legislation it would be required for all companies, online and offline.
- Opt-ins: for sensitive personal and financial information, you would have to actually opt-in for companies to be able to sell and trade that information.
- Data minimization: companies will be required to only gather the information they need for a purchase. They will also be required to verify that third party vendors are not using customer information inappropriately.
- Enforcement: both state attorneys general and the FTC will be able to prosecute companies that break these laws. As it is now its very ambiguous about what the FTC can get involved in.
While this sounds good, we have to remember this is the government so you know it will be flawed. Here are some big problems with this law:
- Government exemption: The biggest flaw of course is that the government is not included in its new rules. This shouldn’t surprise anyone, since the government has its spy loopholes and will protect those at all costs.
- Facebook exemption: The law doesn’t include social media sites, which is one of the main offenders of personal privacy in the first place. This is a major oversight and undermines the entire need for an online privacy law.
- Action required: You have to actually opt-out of these practices to have it take effect. If the legislator were truly concerned about privacy, they would place an outright ban on these practices and make the offenders do the work , instead of you.
So, as usual, it’s a flawed bill. And of course the opposition is raising hell saying it will be the end of free content on the internet. They claim that advertisers pay for the internet and that without these tools content providers will have to start charging money.
This seems oversimplified at best, and I’ll take my chances with protecting my own privacy and keeping these spies out of my computer – and my life.
I have recently learned that my education lacked some of the most important points to our Constitution and Bill of Rights. I am talking about the fourth and most powerful branch of government in this country. The U.S. Suprime Court ruling confirmed that fact. “We The People” are that group. Go to http://www.libertyalliance.org and check it out. Probably more important then voteing today. Educate yourself and join the fight. Government is the servent “We The People” are the masters. Our forfathers put this government in power and gave us the tools needed to take them out of power. We need to do this NOW.
Get back to God to save the people of the world. “We The People” in America are the only ones that can do this. The tools are in place we just need to use them to fix the problems. The liars need to be heald accountable.
I feel that I am living in a foreign country and have been left out in the wilderness to die because we have nobody in Washington who cares about the freedoms that this country has enjoyed as long a I have lived. Since Obama has been in the White House we have been trampled on and lied to on every turn. If I have my way and I intend to do everything within my power to see that everybody in Congress is sent home to stay. I am 74 years old and have never seen so much corruption and untruths in my life. They are sent to represent us and all they do is fatten their pocketbooks and pay no attention to the desires of the American people. I say God Bless America, but when I see how God has been left out of everything how can I expect him to bless this country.
Amen!
Moderation? Or is it censoring the inconvenient truths. Disqus has no moderators so who is reviewing my post?
How old is this news??? McCain/Kerry ANTI-AMERICAN progressives, and unfit for service.
If the people of the USA want to change things for the better, we all have to register to vote & on voting day go vote. vote for no incumbents, I repeat do not vote for 2nd, 3rd or 4th term carrier politicians (carriers are for making MONEY) put new people in office that will do something good for the country & then go back home when their terms are up.!
Two of the major holes are McCain and Kerry. That’s all I need to know about it! Both are bad in my book. If it sounds too good to be true and McCain’s name is attached to it, it is too good to be true and we’ll get the shaft!
yes, A holes, and not only the shaft, the propeller too!
I don’t tweet, faceCook, TWITter, or whatever you do to get yourself exposure, call me a social-media hermit, but with the nSA keeping all our phone records, emails, whatever, I try to keep a low profile. Like taping the I-cam on my computer, not carrying a tracking device called the cell phone, and not handing out my number, and changing it now and then.
I worked for the phone company, and I can tell you, at a Central Office, a telephone switching center, someone can listen to your every word. Every hear strange noises on your call? that’s some yoko at the NSA or phone company listening to your call while you spill your beans.
remember the “Do Not Call” lists? that didn’t last very long? I constantly get calls from campaigns, they don’t leave msg., then if you try to call them back, you get a “all circuits busy” message.
Welcome to the New World Order.
Recently I received an extra charge from a third party on my sprint phone bill. Sprint told me that I had to opt out before they could block. The government changed all of the rules and they have to accept the third party charge until they are contacted by the customer. The biggest lie in the world is when they say they are from the government and want to help you.
you actually believe the goverment would protect any part of your privacy? please wake up and smell the coffee burning. that coffee has been burning for a long time and there is nothing that you can do about. not even running and hiding helps you with this one.
I have some questions that aren’t answered in your blog:
Has this already been passed? Or is there some action I should/could take (to get this bill “fixed” to not have loop-holes)?
If it has already passed, how do I “opt out” of it?
JOIN LIFE LOCK AND NEVER EVER GIVE MORE THAN YOUR NAME TO FACEBOOK ETC .I SEE MANY REASONS TO IMPEACH obama AND OTHERS IN D.C. WE MUST REALISE THAT THE GOV. PARTY SYSTEM HAS SHIFTED TO TOTAL GOV. CONTROL. NOW I HAVE A QUESTION, DO U WANT LIBERTY, A SMALL GOV.,DO YOU SUPPORT THE CONSTATUTION, DO U WANT THE GOV. TO PROTECT YOU FROM ENIMIES FORIEN AND DOMESTIC, DO U WANT LOWER TAXES, AND DO U WANT THE GOV. TO LIVE WITHEN THEIR MEAND? WELL GUESS WHAT , NOW YOU CAN CALL YOURSELF A FULL FLEDGED LIBERTARIAN !!! WELCOME TO THE PARTY THAT WILL MAKE THIS COUNTRY FREE AGAIN!!!
Where is the money going to come from to enforce this law? Is this a foot in the door for internet taxation by our government?
I want to opt out of spies checking on me. Privacy is my main concern, I do nothing to warrant any spies in my business and am opting out of their invading my privacy.
The Edison Co. is now billing me $5 month to be on on opt out.
Is it worth it.
Do have solar.
WHEN MY FATHER WAS ALIVE, HE SAID, THAT BIG BROTHER IS SPYING ON US! HE SAID THIS BACK IN THE 1970′s. HE DIED IN 1983! I BELIEVE THEY HAVE BEEN SPYING ON US THESE PAST DECADES. THIS IS NOTHING NEW FOR ME CONCERNING OUR GOVERNMENT! I SERVED IN THE MILITARY FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND I TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE TO DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION, AND THE UNITED STATES WHETHER FOREIGN OR DOMESTIC. IF THINGS IN WASHINGTON,ARE RESOLVED THESE ISSUES, THEN WE SHOULD BAND TOGETHER, TO IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS. WE SHOULD ALSO, MARCH ON WASHINGTON, AND SPEAK OUT AGAINST OUR GOVERNMENT! WE CAN DO MANY THINGS ABOUT DEFENDING OUR CONSTITUTION. MAY GOD BE WITH US IN THESE TRYING TIMES!
I don’t think marching will solve our problems. But if you would really like to change things then register & vote for no incumbents, I repeat vote for no 2nd, 3rd or 4th term carrier politicians. 1 term get in do something for the country & then go back home….!
Even a military aircraft launched a missle @ MaCain while he was in his plane. Watched the video WOW even an airplane knows a liar!!!
Using our personal data for marketing purposes is bad enough. What about the DHS? They are the really scary ones, given that they monitor social media sites and seem to have a very loose definition of the profile of a potential terrorist.
To quote former President Reagan: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”
Sorry, but I don’t trust any law or government agency to protect my privacy.
The government is the worst offender when it comes to privacy. And the direction the government is heading is absolutely frightening and a tremendous travesty. We are seeing our Freedom taken away inch by inch. So how ever out of control internet privacy is, you can not run from the worst offender. They do what they want in spite of laws. The new spy center will be recording every conversation. With this information in the hands of evil dictatorship, it will be horrific for all who love freedom and the liberties the Constitution protects. Freedom Lovers will be viewed as enemy number one. Run… FOREST… RUN! Grab your happy face T shirt and ping pong paddle….and…RUN! The drones are after you! RUN! Don’t let them shoot your windmill Frank! Your wind power will be a threat to birds. Gads What is this nation turning into? I do not recognize it anymore.
Typical McCain and HIS CRONIES Junk! Never for America and For “The People”, but Always “FOR THEMSELVES” and NO ONE ELSE, Kicking the CAN down the road once again just like he and his cronies have been doing with OUR MONEY for the last 4+ years! Just wasting time till things fall apart and “WE THE PEOPLE AND “OUR COUNTRY GO BROKE DUE TO THE STUPIDITY WITHIN D.C.!!!!!!
as b mann says,,, i am also a viet nam vet of the marine corp,,, these two lie any time there mouth is open,, our new secretay of state has previous experience in the new job he just took,,, bet most people do not know that kerry was ion the position to give himself purple hearts,,, and that when he came home,, his father had influence,, and therefore his father put him in touch with the communist north viet nam paris pease negotiators,, now keep in mind we were at war with the north viet namese,,, but kerry meet with the north vietnamese in paris even though the american government did want him to,,, and kerry learned what he could do to help out the north vietnamese cause in america,, they taught him to organize protests to turn the american public against the war,,,, and for those of you that do not know when we came home and landed in calif. we were meet with some of these protestors,,,, they greeted us home by throwing tomatos at us !!! now hes your secretary of state making our policy to the world,,, i wonder whos policies he will negotiate this time!!!! and yes we were meet with people throwing tomatos at us when we got off the plane !!!!! john mc cain needs to answer for what he did to other prisoners while in hanoi prison !!! we have the most corupt government in washington now then we ever have had and we will fall as a nation for sure since the man got his second term,,, he will over see the distruction of america in his second term,,, chuck hagel for defence,,, that to pay him back for his company rigging the election for Obama !!! washington is corrupt and we the people are done unless we rise up like other nations are doing and take the country back,,, we only have maybe a couple of years t best !!!
This bill should have LOOP-HOLES taken OUT!!
Your point is well taken.
And Kerry. Traitors, both!
If McCain is involved, you know it isn’t good for America.
Soundss good to me. HOW MANY PERFECT bills do you know of ?
as a nam area vet these two “cannot” be trusted.if they open their mouth ,they LIE . and,if this web site puts any credibility in this duo of trash then i would question them . you can not trust these people ! do your homework .
Kerry is corrupt and a lifelong narcissist. McCain’s problem politically is that he has been too flexible in reaching across the aisle, but he has been a public servant ever since joining the Navy and later being one of the longest held POWs of the Vietnam War. As an American and Vietnam Combat Marine (68 Khe Sanh) I respect McCain and despise Kerry. Two entirely different human beings. McCain looks for solutions. Kerry looks for fame.
Sounds like another do not call list!