The FCC Says It Can't Force Google and Facebook To Stop Tracking Their Users (washingtonpost.com)

An anonymous reader writes: The FCC announced that it will not prevent Facebook, Google, and other websites from not honoring users' Do Not Track requests that make it difficult for them to track online activities. The Washington Post reports: "The announcement is a blow to privacy advocates who had petitioned the agency for stronger Internet privacy rules. But it's a win for many Silicon Valley companies whose business models rely on monetizing Internet users' personal data. It's also the latest move in an ongoing battle to defend the agency's new net neutrality rules, which opponents warned would result in the regulation of popular Web sites and online services. By rejecting the petition, the FCC likely hopes to defuse that argument. The rules, which took effect this summer, allow the FCC to regulate only providers of Internet access, not individual Web sites, said a senior agency official."

Comments

Re:what happened to personal responsibility?

[Opportunist]

"Hey, why didn't you invite me to the party?"
"What? I announced it like 3 months ago!"
"I never heard anything about it."
"It's been on my Facebook page for like ever, didn't you check?"

This isn't so far from the average conversation I have with friends. Not having a Facebook account means that I miss even more parties and gatherings than I did before Facebook became an issue.

So no, I don't have to have Facebook. But then again, I also have no big problem with being a social pariah.