FACT SHEET: THE FCC ADOPTS ORDER TO GIVE BROADBAND CONSUMERS
INCREASED CHOICE OVER THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted an Order at the October meeting that will give
consumers the tools they need to choose how their Internet service providers (ISPs) use and share their
personal data. Building on widely accepted privacy principles, the rules require that ISPs provide their
customers with meaningful choice and keep customer data secure while giving ISPs the flexibility they
need to continue to innovate. The rules do not prohibit ISPs from using or sharing their customers’
information — they simply require ISPs to put their customers in the driver’s seat when it comes to those
decisions. The approach the Commission adopted reflects extensive public comments received in
response to the comprehensive proposal adopted by the Commission in March 2016.
Whose Data Is It Anyway? Consumers Deserve Increased Choice, Transparency, and Security Online
In today's digital world, consumers deserve the ability to make informed choices about their online
privacy, but there are currently no rules in place outlining how ISPs may use and share their customers’
private information. ISPs serve as a consumer’s “on-ramp” to the Internet. Providers have the ability to
see a tremendous amount of their customers’ personal information that passes over that Internet
connection, including their browsing habits. Consumers deserve the right to decide how that
information is used and shared — and to protect their privacy and their children’s privacy online.
First Principles: Designed to Protect Consumers, Evolve with Changing Technology
The FCC’s Open Internet Order reclassified broadband Internet access service as a telecommunications
service. Section 222 of Title II of the Communications Act requires telecommunications carriers to
protect the privacy of their customers’ information. The FCC, as mandated by Congress, has successfully
overseen consumer privacy with regard to the telephone network for decades, and these proposed rules
would apply that expertise to the world of broadband.
The rules are designed to evolve with changing technologies and encourage innovation, and are in
harmony with other key privacy frameworks and principles — including those outlined by the Federal
Trade Commission and the Administration’s Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights. They also reflect careful
consideration of the needs of smaller ISPs. The rules give consumers greater control over their ISPs’ use
and sharing of their personal information, and provide them with ways to easily adjust their privacy
preferences over time.
Clear Notice: ISPs Must Tell Customers about the Collection, Use, and Sharing of Their Information
Every day, consumers hand over personal information — including very sensitive information — to their
ISPs simply by using their service. Consumers deserve to know how their provider handles that
information. The rules require that ISPs, whether they offer mobile broadband or fixed broadband to
people’s homes, to:
 Notify customers about what types of information the ISP collects about its customers.
 Specify how and for what purposes the ISP uses and shares this information.
 Identify the types of entities with which the ISP shares this information.
Immediate and persistent notification
ISPs must provide this information when a customer signs up for service, and update customers when
the ISP’s privacy policy changes in significant ways. In addition, the information must be persistently
available on the ISP’s website or mobile app.
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 Multi-stakeholder approach
Recognizing the value of multi-stakeholder processes, the Commission directs the Consumer Advisory
Committee (CAC) to develop a standardized privacy notice format that is voluntary and can serve as a
‘safe-harbor’ for those providers that choose to adopt it.
Increased Consumer Choice: Use of Personal Information Based on Sensitivity
The type of customer consent required for ISPs to use and share their customers’ personal information
is calibrated to the sensitivity of the information, in line with approaches taken by other privacy
frameworks, including the FTC’s and the Administration’s Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights. The focus on
the sensitivity of the information — rather than how it is used — is in line with customer expectations.
Customers generally want more controls in place before their sensitive information is used or shared.
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Opt-In: ISPs will be required to obtain “opt-in” consent to use and share sensitive information
ISPs will have to obtain affirmative permission from consumers — opt-in consent — to use and
share sensitive information. The Order specifies categories of information that will be
considered “sensitive,” including:
o Precise geo-location (typically the realworld location of a mobile phone or
other device)
o Children’s information
o Health information

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o
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Financial information
Social Security numbers
Web browsing history
App usage history
The content of communication

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Opt-out: Use and sharing of non-sensitive information would be subject to opt-out consent
requirements in most cases. All other individually identifiable customer information — for
example, service tier information — is considered non-sensitive and the use of sharing of that
information will be subject to opt-out consent, consistent with customer expectations.

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Exceptions to the Consent Requirements: Customer consent is inferred for certain purposes,
including:
o
o
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Use and sharing of non-sensitive information to provide and market services and
equipment typically marketed with the broadband service subscribed to by the customer.
To provide the broadband service, and bill and collect for the service.
To protect the broadband provider and its customers from fraudulent use of the provider’s
network.

Implements Strong Protections for De-identified Information
The use and sharing of de-identified information, that is, data that have been altered so they are no
longer associated with individual consumers or devices, can present fewer privacy concerns than other
types of consumer data. The rules allow ISPs to use and share properly de-identified information outside
the consent regime required for other customer data. However, we also recognize that ISPs may have
the incentive and, increasingly, the technical ability to easily re-identify customer information.
As such, if an ISP wants to rely on de-identification in its use or sharing of information outside of the
new consent framework, it must meet the strong, three-part test first articulated by the FTC in 2012 to
ensure consumer information is not re-identified. ISPs must:

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Alter the customer information so that it can’t be reasonably linked to a specific individual or
device.
Publicly commit to maintain and use information in an unidentifiable format and to not attempt
to re-identify the data.
Contractually prohibit the re-identification of shared information.

Prohibits “Take-It-or-Leave-It” Offers
The Order prohibits “take-it-or-leave-it” offers, meaning that an ISP can’t refuse to serve customers who
don’t consent to the use and sharing of their information for commercial purposes.
Heightens Consumer Protections for Financial Incentives
Recognizing that so-called “pay for privacy” offerings raise unique considerations, the rules require
heightened disclosure for plans that provide discounts or other incentives in exchange for a customer’s
express affirmative consent to the use and sharing of their personal information. The Commission will
determine on a case-by-case basis the legitimacy of programs that relate service price to privacy
protections. Consumers should not be forced to choose between paying inflated prices and maintaining
their privacy.
Strengthens Protection of Customer Information
Strong security protections are crucial to protecting consumers’ data from breaches and other
vulnerabilities that undermine consumer trust and can put their health, financial, and other sensitive
personal information at risk. Consistent with FTC data security requirements and the NIST cyber-security
framework, the rules require ISPs to take reasonable measures to protect customer data.
The rules require that an ISP’s practices be appropriately calibrated to the nature and scope of its
activities, the sensitivity of the underlying data, the size of the provider, and technical feasibility.
Recognizing that data security is a dynamic and innovative arena, the Order does not provide a check-list
of required data security activities. The Order does, however, provide guidelines about steps ISPs should
consider taking to develop reasonable data security practices, such as to:
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Implement up-to-date and relevant industry best practices, including available guidance on how
to manage security risks responsibly.
Provide appropriate accountability and oversight of its security practices.
Implement robust customer authentication tools.
Properly dispose of data consistent with FTC best practices and the Consumer Privacy Bill of
Rights.

Includes Common-Sense Data Breach Rules That Protect Consumers’ Right to Know
Consumers have a right to know when their data has been compromised. In order to encourage ISPs to
protect the confidentiality of customer data, and to give consumers and law enforcement notice of
failures to protect such information, the rules include common-sense data breach notification
requirements. The requirement is triggered by an ISP’s determination that an unauthorized disclosure
of a customer’s personal information has occurred, unless the ISP determines that no harm is
reasonably likely to occur.
Specifically, in the event of a reportable breach, providers would be required to notify:

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Affected customers of breaches of their data as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days after
reasonable determination of a breach.
The Commission, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Secret Service of breaches
affecting 5,000 or more customers no later than 7 business days after reasonable determination
of the breach.
The Commission at the same time as customers are first notified of breaches affecting fewer
than 5,000 customers.

Harmonization of Broadband and Voice Rules
The new rules also apply to voice services and treat call-detail record information as sensitive
information in the context of voice services. By harmonizing the rules that apply to broadband and
voice services, the Commission is providing clear and consistent privacy and data security protections for
customers of all telecommunications services.
Dispute Resolution
Today’s Order reaffirms the right of broadband and voice customers to use the Commission’s informal
dispute resolution process. In addition, it expresses concern about the impact on consumers from the
use of mandatory arbitration agreements. The Commission intends to proceed with a rulemaking in
February 2017 to address mandatory arbitration requirements in contracts for communications services.
Implementation Timeline
The Order gives providers sufficient time to implement the changes required by the rules, while
adopting an implementation timeline calibrated to ensure that consumers receive the benefit of the
new rules as quickly as possible.
 The data security requirements will go into effect 90 days after publication of the summary of
the Order in the Federal Register.
 The data breach notification requirements will become effective approximately 6 months after
publication of the summary of the Order in the Federal Register.
 The Notice and Choice requirements will become effective approximately 12 months after
publication of the summary of the Order in the Federal Register. Small providers will have an
additional 12 months to come into compliance.
What the Rules Do NOT Do:
 Do not regulate the privacy practices of websites or apps, like Twitter or Facebook, over which
the Federal Trade Commission has authority.
 Do not regulate other services of broadband providers, such as operation of a social media
website.
 Do not address issues such as government surveillance, encryption or law enforcement.
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