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(31 Mar 2017) The Electronic Frontier Foundation is criticizing Congress after it passed a bill that would allow internet providers such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon to sell the browsing habits of their customers.The move was made to reverse a Federal Communications Commission rule issued in October designed to give consumers greater control over how internet service providers share information. But critics said the rule would have stifled innovation and picked winners and losers among Internet companies.Internet companies like Google don't have to ask users' permission before tracking what sites they visit. Republicans and industry groups have blasted that discrepancy, saying it was unfair and confusing for consumers.But proponents of the privacy measure argued that the company that sells you your internet connection can see even more about consumers, such as every website they visit and whom they exchange emails with. That information would be particularly useful for advertisers and marketers.THE EFF says the legislation could also make it easier for hackers to find personal information on millions of Americans by breaking into internet provider servers, something they've been able to do before.The vote is part of an extensive effort that Republicans have undertaken to void an array of regulations issued during the final months of Democratic President Barack Obama's tenure. But the vote was closer this time with 15 Republicans siding with Democrats in the effort to keep the rule in place.President Trump has yet to sign the legislation.You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you... Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

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AP Archive apus074659 a4577912e1b0876b74e2de57ed8cac49 US CA Internet Privacy (NR) Barack Obama California United States San Francisco Business Government and politics