All the data traveling through your router could become fair game

My wife happened to walk into my office as I was playing a clip from Scott Pelley from the CBS Evening News.

“The House voted to peel back Internet privacy protections,” Pelley was explaining. “This would allow Internet providers to collect and sell customers’ personal information to marketers — including health data and web-browsing histories.

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And she looked at me and she said “WHAT?” In that tone that usually means I’ve done something dumb.

But this one’s not my fault. This is part of reducing regulations and creating more freedom for the American people. In this case, it’s the freedom of your Internet service provider, like Comcast or Verizon, to gather and use your personal data without telling you.

If the president signs this, it means any data that goes through that little black box with the flashing lights is fair game.

And you say: so what, Dave? Google already tracks all my data. Well, Google can track what you Google, but the little black box sees everything that’s not encrypted. Every website you visit, every WiFi connection, everything on your home network. And if you’re really hi-tech, it sees your thermostat, refrigerator, microwave, even your Internet-enabled hairbrush — which does exist.

Internet providers will voluntarily let you opt-out of data collection but once the president signs this bill, they won’t legally have to.

And he is expected to sign it. Although, Mr. President, if Obama taps your hair brush, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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