Newhouse defends internet privacy vote, supports broader rules

U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, is defending his vote this week to scrap a recently enacted federal rule governing internet privacy, saying it failed to cover social media and other activities that gather and collect sensitive information.

Newhouse joined Republicans in passing Senate Joint Resolution 34, which rescinded a Federal Communications Commission rule that required internet service providers, or ISPs, to protect customer privacy.

Critics say the move will allow ISPs to sell or share sensitive customer information on computers and cellphones, including internet browsing history, Social Security numbers, email contents, health and financial data and even data about users’ children.

Some critics argue it would encourage law enforcement agencies such as the FBI to expand warrantless surveillance of Americans’ online activity.

Newhouse issued a statement deriding the FCC rule as a “midnight regulation” adopted at the end of the Obama administration.

“It would have given consumers a false sense of security because the FCC rule is only for internet service providers, while search engines, social media sites, and other internet content providers are not subject to the same rule,” he said in a statement.

His office notes the Federal Trade Commission said the outcome of the FCC rule “is not optimal” in its comments on the rule last year.

Newhouse spokesman Will Boyington said he wants the FCC and FTC to cooperate on a “harmonious framework” that sets the same standards for the same information.

The Yakima Herald-Republic reports Newhouse received $10,000 in campaign contributions from the telecommunications industry — including AT&T, Comcast, Verizon and T-Mobile — during the 2016 election. Its source is Follow The Money, an online campaign finance database.

Democrats, including Washington Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Oregon Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, have urged President Donald Trump to veto SJR 34.

In a letter dated March 30, the four Northwest Democrats along with 42 others defended the public process that led to the FCC rule.

“The FCC’s rules were finalized following a lengthy and transparent rulemaking process where members of the public were able to review the rules and submitted more than 250,000 comments, letters, and filings,” it reads.

“Reversing these landmark privacy protections would be the antithesis of a pro-consumer administration,” they wrote.

The resolution also prevents the FCC from ever reinstating similar consumer privacy protections in the future, the Democrats said.

SJR 34 has inspired a lively online reaction, including a highly publicized Go Fund Me campaign by an internet privacy advocate in Chattanooga, Tenn., that aims to raise money to purchase and publicize the internet history of Republicans who voted for the resolution.

As of Friday, the campaign has raised $193,570, or nearly 20 times its $10,000 goal. Its success triggered a backlash as well, with one tech site calling it a possible scam.

This story was originally published March 31, 2017 at 8:45 PM with the headline "Newhouse defends internet privacy vote, supports broader rules."