Op-Ed: FCC Poised to Reinforce Consumer Rights and Protections
Commentary: FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler describes some of the commission’s
goals, including addressing privacy concerns and alternatives to set-top box
rentals
Op-Ed: By Tom Wheeler, FCC Chairman
If you are
a consumer who feels like you're being taken advantage of, where do you turn
for help?
The
Federal Communications Commission is the nation's expert agency on
communications technology and has a mandate to protect consumers who rely on
our nation's networks. In recent years, the commission has moved aggressively
to meet our consumer protection responsibilities, whether it's
adopting net neutrality protections that preserve the right of internet users
to access a fair, fast and open Internet without the fear of gatekeepers, or
pushing the NFL to suspend its TV blackout policy. In the coming weeks, the
commission is poised to take significant actions to further these obligations,
saving consumers money and securing fundamental consumer rights for the digital
age.
Our core
mission is two-fold: we work to promote innovation and investment in
world-class networks, products and services, while preserving principles that
have long defined our networks -- principles like universal access, consumer
protection and public safety. I believe that policies that are pro-innovation
and pro-competition are pro-consumer, which is why we work to preserve and
promote competitive markets.
It was FCC
action that
induced wireless companies to unlock mobile phones, so you can switch carriers
and keep your phone. More recently, we spurred an industry-led effort to give consumers more call-filtering options to block the scourge of
unwanted robocalls. And the commission has consistently pushed a series of
initiatives to promote transparency in the telecom sector, so consumers have
the information they need to make smart decisions, all while making the market
work more efficiently.
The FCC
also works aggressively on a variety of fronts to make sure consumers are
treated fairly and get what they pay for. The commission has repeatedly stepped
in to stop unfair business practices and, in many cases, required the companies
to take concrete measures to prevent future indiscretions. In recent years, the
commission has reached settlements that stop companies from overcharging
consumers and failing to protect consumers' personal information. Today, we reached
a settlement with T-Mobile requiring the company to pay a fine and provide
consumer benefits totaling $48 million for misleading consumers about
restrictions on its "unlimited" data plans. Just last week, Comcast
agreed to pay $2.3 million in fines for billing consumers for services they
didn't order, the largest penalty ever for a cable company.
Currently,
there are two more issues before the commission that will have a real impact on
American consumers: protecting consumers' privacy on broadband networks and giving consumers alternatives to renting costly set-top boxes.
Seldom do
we stop to realize that our internet service provider -- or ISP -- is
collecting information about us every time we go online. Your ISP handles all
of your network traffic. That means it has a broad view of all of your
unencrypted online activity -- when you are online, the websites you visit, and
the apps you use. If you have a mobile device, your provider can track your
physical location throughout the day in real time. Even when data is encrypted,
your broadband provider can piece together significant amounts of information about
you -- including private information such as a chronic medical condition or
financial problems -- based on your online activity.
The
problem is, there are currently no rules in place outlining how ISPs may use
and share their customers' personal information. This, while overwhelming
majorities express concern that they have lost control of how their personal
information is used. In today's digital world, consumers deserve to be able to
make informed choices about their privacy and their children's privacy online.
Later this
month, the commission will vote on rules to give consumers the tools they need
to make informed decisions about how ISPs use and share their data. These rules
will also give consumers confidence that their ISPs are taking steps to keep
their data secure, and will provide ISPs the flexibility they need to continue
to innovate. It's your data -- it's about time you had a say over how it's
used.
Whereas
many of us don't realize how our personal data is used by ISPs, just about
everyone recognizes the inconvenience of having to rent a set-top box to watch
the television programming you've already paid for. With no meaningful
alternatives to choose from, 99 percent of pay-TV subscribers still lease a
set-top box from their provider, despite the statutory mandate that they must
have commercially available options. The average American household spends $231
every year to rent these devices, according to one analysis. Collectively, the
bill comes to about $20 billion annually.
There is
currently a proposal before the FCC that would end the set-top box
stranglehold. If adopted, consumers would no longer have to pay monthly fees to
rent a box. Instead, they would be able to access their pay-TV content via free
apps on a variety of devices, including smart TVs, streaming boxes, tablets and
smartphones. Consumers would also enjoy a better viewing experience thanks to
integrated search and new innovation that will flow from enhanced competitive
choice.
Thanks to
advances in communications technology, there's never been a better -- or more
complex -- time to be a US consumer. Faced with many challenges, Americans
should know that the FCC works every day to protect consumers.
The op-ed can be found here: https://www.cnet.com/news/fcc-poised-to-reinforce-consumer-rights-and-protections/
The Consumer Protection Report can be found here: https://www.fcc.gov/document/empowering-21st-century-consumer
Press release: FCC by Kim Hart <Kim.Hart@fcc.gov>
