In historic victory for online privacy, FCC rules that broadband providers need permission to track users

In a huge victory for internet privacy advocates, the FCC ruled on Thursday that broadband giants like AT&T and Comcast can no longer collect and give out data on their users without first getting their permission. Currently, those companies can track their users’ activity online—including the websites they visit and apps they use—unless they’re told to stop doing so.  The 3-2 decision was historic because it marks “the first time” the agency has passed such online protections, reports the New York Times. Previously, such privacy rules only applied to phones and cable TV.