Kade Crockford, director of the ACLU of Massachusetts’ Technology for Library Program, today released the following statement in response to recommended legislation proposed by the Special Senate Committee on Net Neutrality and Consumer Protection:
“In recent weeks, the importance of regulating internet privacy has risen to the top of our national conversation. Consumers nationwide have woken up to the ways our sensitive information and data can be sold to the highest bidder – and wind up in the wrong hands. We face these types of attacks on personal privacy and democracy not only from companies like Google and Facebook, which can access large quantities of information about their users, but from internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon, which can collect far more detailed information about millions of people throughout Massachusetts and nationwide – whether or not they use Google or Facebook.
“Our personal privacy and our democracy are at stake – but lawmakers have a historic opportunity to act now on net neutrality and consumer internet privacy. Massachusetts is a leader in digital technology, and our consumer protection laws must reflect that. On behalf of the ACLU’s members and supporters across Massachusetts, we thank the Special Committee for its hard work to advance internet freedom and privacy, and we urge the Legislature to adopt the recommended legislation.”
