The Republican-controlled Senate voted yesterday to reverse FCC privacy protections created under the Obama administration and former FCC chair Tom Wheeler that would have forbidden Internet service providers from using customer data without permission for use in targeted ads. “The measure passed in a 50-to-48 vote largely along party lines,” reports The New York Times. “The House is expected to mirror the Senate’s action next week, followed by a quick signature from President Trump.” The decision means service providers would not require permission to track and share the browsing and app activities of its customers.

While consumer advocates are concerned about the impact to privacy and fear further deregulation, some lawmakers and new FCC chair “Ajit Pai have said the privacy rules were onerous and unfairly strapped regulations on telecom carriers, but not on Web companies such as Facebook and Google that also provide access to online content.”