Westbrook, MAINE – Republican gubernatorial candidate and Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason today flip-flopped on a bill aimed at protecting the personal information of Maine internet users. Despite testifying in support of LD 1610 last year, Mason today cast a deciding vote that killed the measure in the Senate. Introduced by Democratic Senator Shenna Bellows, LD 1610 would have prohibited any internet provider that receives public funding from sharing or selling users’ personal information without consent. The bill also sought to prevent providers from penalizing customers for withholding consent through service refusal and added fees.
Despite his vote against the bill today, Mason in May 2017 testified in support of the measure, saying he believed “the legislature should do all it can to protect the private information of Mainers.”
“When Garrett Mason said last year he thought the Legislature should do all it can to protect the privacy of Maine people, what he apparently meant to say was that they should do nothing at all,” said Phil Bartlett, Chairman of the Maine Democratic Party. “Because of Senator Mason’s flip-flop, Maine peoples’ personal information can be collected and sold to the highest bidder, all without their permission – and that’s neither right nor fair. While Democrats are trying to protect Mainers’ internet privacy in the face of massive intrusions, Mason and Republicans seem content to allow it to remain vulnerable. This is not the type of leadership Maine people are looking for in their next governor.”
Senator Bellows introduced her bill last year after Republicans in Congress, including Bruce Poliquin, overturned a Federal Communications Commission rule banning providers from selling their customers’ online web browsing data to advertisers and other third parties.
While the Senate failed to pass the bill today as a result of Mason’s flip-flop, the House had approved it by a vote of 82-63.
The complete text of Senator Mason’s testimony from May 2017 in support of the bill is below:
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Senator Woodsome, Representative Barry, and members of the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Teclmology, my name is Senator Garrett Mason, I represent Androscoggin County, and I am the Senate Majority Leader. I am pleased to be here today to speak in favor of LD l6lO, An Act To Protect Privacy of Online Customer Personal Information.
When Congress voted to repeal the FCC rules, many people, including myself, became concerned that their personal information and, in turn, their privacy, would be sold. This bill replicates the rules that were repealed by Congress and seeks to protect every Mainer who accesses the internet and ensures that their personal information is protected.
This bill is about privacy. Right now, internet providers can gather your browsing history, geo-location history and other information. - If this measure were to pass, you would have to provide affirmative consent to providers in order for them to sell this data to others.
In a world where identity theft and data breaches are all too common, l believe that the legislature should do all it can to protect the private information of Mainers. Thank you, I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
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