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FOX43 Finds Out: Can you stop internet service providers from selling your browsing history?

YORK, Pa — A click here and a search there. Chances are what you browse online can say a lot about you. A new federal measure, signed by President Donald ...

YORK, Pa -- A click here and a search there.

Chances are what you browse online can say a lot about you.

A new federal measure, signed by President Donald Trump, allows that information to be sold.

Students at York College, many of whom have grown up with the internet at their finger tips, have some mixed feelings about the new regulations.

"There's a point when there's too much that they probably shouldn't be able to sell everything you do and access on the web, but it also comes to a point that you're on the web and you are aware of it, so you should be a little more cautious of what you're doing," said Karla Richins, a senior at York College from Salisbury, Maryland.

Ryan Sweeney, a senior a York College from Beachwood, NJ said, "They're trying to get everything they can out of the customer, I understand. If they're following the laws, I'm fine with that."

Technically, the companies would be following the law.

Since the President has signed a measure which reverses some internet privacy rules.

"Those companies can decide how they sell your information to who ever they like."

Dr. James Norrie is the Dean of the Graham School of Business at York College.

He's concerned about the new regulations, saying what a person searches online during their own time should not be for sale.

"This is actually giving them a backdoor into what you're surfing and looking at without you having consented. That's the important distinction here in this change. They can do it without your consent."

So does this mean before going on a first date with someone in the further, they can they buy all of your internet history?

Well, not exactly.

"I think those companies will be a little bit too savvy to fall prey to that, but theoretically, so not practically, but theoretically there's nothing in the law that prevents that," said Dr. Norrie.

It seems like your really personal data, that someone could use to steal your identity, is still protected.

"They can't share stuff like dates of birth, social security numbers, credit card information, that is private for all vendors."

It is the internet companies' decision on whom to sell the information to.

Some people believe that info will likely be sold to marketing companies.

Norrie says things like this already happen on a smaller scale on free websites - like Facebook or Twitter.

That's how the websites make money, by the ads you see in your timeline or on the side of your page.

When it comes to your internet service provider, you pay them.

For that reason, Norrie doesn't think the companies should be selling any of your information.

"It's taking data that belongs to you, aggregating it, selling it for their benefit. and i ask, what benefit does that have for the consumer?"

Dr. Norrie says there might be a way stop the internet companies from seeing what you browse, but that's going to cost you even more money.

"You can use tunneling software and what are called virtual private networks, or VPNs, consumers can look those up online. Then again there's additional level of cost and additional level of service."

In response to the changes, some of the biggest internet providers say they will keep customers browsing histories secure.

Now, even though president trump has signed the measure, it's technically not in effect yet.

FOX43 reached out to the Federal Communications Commission to see when that would go into effect, or calls and emails were never returned.

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