Protect Your Online Privacy

Last year, the U.S. Congress voted to dismantle online privacy protections. Now, the Maine legislature has an opportunity to step up and undo the damage. LD 1610 will require your permission before internet providers can sell your private information to the highest bidder.

• No one should have to choose between using the Internet and protecting their privacy. Using the Internet is no longer just a luxury that we can choose not to participate in. The Internet has become a necessity for everything from work to school to paying bills.
• Internet providers have access to some of our most personal information including browsing history, location history and contacts. Taken together, this data could paint an intimate picture of a person’s religion, medical conditions, and even their hobbies.
• The personal information Internet providers collect and share is increasingly being used by adverstisers to discriminate against certain communities. Advertisers and data brokers are increasingly using data to decide what prices to advertise to someone, the content they should steer them to, and even the types of loans to offer them.
• LD 1610 will reverse some of the damage done by the loss of privacy protections at the federal level. The U.S. Congress has put corporate profits over consumer privacy. Now it’s up to the states to protect their residents.