Broadband industry vexed by looming regulations

Broadband industry officials say they’re baffled by federal guidance on privacy restrictions they must follow under forthcoming network neutrality rules, calling a recent government missive “stunningly unhelpful” and suggesting it was designed to combat legal challenges to the sweeping regulations. The Federal Communications Commission notice -- an advisory issued by the agency’s Enforcement Bureau -- addresses privacy rules that broadband providers will be subject to when the net neutrality order takes effect on June 12.

The agency contends that the advisory was aimed at explaining what companies should do in the interim period before they have formal rules to follow. But some industry representatives say it seems to create a line in the sand -- without saying where that line lies. “I’m hesitating because we just found it stunningly unhelpful,” said one telecommunications lawyer who represents a client opposed to the net neutrality order. “The main directive of that notice said that providers should act in good faith and observe the core tenants of privacy policy,” the lawyer said. “And, you know, they’re sort of oblivious to the fact that for years now there’s been this ongoing debate and discussion in Washington and throughout the country on what does privacy mean, what are the core tenants of privacy. And to come out and say, ‘well just do that,’ it’s just laughable.”