It is the longest of long shots, but Reps. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) and Mike Capuano (D-Mass.) have launched a petition on Whitehouse.gov calling on the President to veto S.J. Res. 34, the Congressional Review Act resolution that repealed the FCC's broadband privacy rules.
The President is widely expected to sign the resolution and repeal the regs.
The resolution narrowly passed both the Senate (last week) and the House (Tuesday) and is headed to the President's desk, although the Democrats are hoping to stay the President's pen hand.
At presstime, the petition had 120 signatures toward the 100,000 it needs to get a response from the White House, though it is unclear whether the new President is hewing to such a schedule. The resolution will likely be signed by then regardless.
The crux of the petition is "Don't let Internet providers spy and sell our online data. Please keep the FCC's Privacy Rules."
“This bill has been rushed through both the House and Senate at breakneck speed with one clear goal – to get it signed into law before the American People know about it,” Doyle said after launching the petition. Doyle managed the floor debate on the Democratic side March 28 before the Republicans voted 215-205 to roll back the rules, with 15 Republicans breaking ranks to vote against it.
“Americans do not want their internet browsing history and sensitive personal information used by their ISP without their knowledge for advertising or any other purposes,” Capuano said. “I cannot imagine why anyone would support this.”
Capuano was arguably the loudest critic, bellowing his dissent and suggesting he didn't want ISPs sharing his underwear size if he went online to buy a pair.
The CRA overturns rules approved by a divided FCC Oct. 27 that required ISPs to get subs' permission to share web surfing and app use info and impose data security and breach notification requirements.
