How Can I Save My Internet Privacy? Campaigns Aim To Buy Congress’ Browsing History

The Congress earlier this week voted to repeal a law put in place by former President Barack Obama’s administration, aimed at protecting internet privacy. The move may have backfired as internet users across the country are now looking to hold their lawmakers accountable for the repeal.

In a bid to make lawmakers realize the implications of backtracking on internet security, fundraising campaigns have collected over $250,000 to buy the browsing histories of the elected officials.

Read: Will Trump Veto The Congress' Decision To Rollback Obama-Era Internet Privacy Regulations?

One of these, which garnered almost $80,000 with the help of under 4,000 people in less than two days, was started by “Supernatural” actor Misha Collins who said the GoFundMe campaign will “pay to purchase the data of Donald Trump and every Congressperson who voted for SJR34, and to make it publicly available.”

“Congress recently voted to strip Americans of their privacy rights by voting for SJR34, a resolution that allows Internet Service Providers to collect, and sell your sensitive data without your consent or knowledge,” Collins wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Since Congress has made our privacy a commodity, let’s band together to buy THEIR privacy.”

Collins’ goal is to gather $500 million, and if for some reason the campaign is unable to buy the Congress’ data, the money will be sent to the American Civil Liberties Union to help with its fight for privacy rights, Collins said.

A second GoFundMe, started by Tennessee-based activist Adam McElhaney, is looking to buy “the Internet histories of all legislators, congressmen, executives, and their families and make them easily searchable at searchinternethistory.com.”

“Everything from their medical, pornographic, to their financial and infidelity,” McElhaney wrote on the page. “Anything they have looked at, searched for, or visited on the Internet will now be available for everyone to comb through.”

His campaign has put together almost $185,000 with the help of over 11,000 people in five days. The original goal was $10,000.

The resolution, which shows disapproval for the rule “Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services,” needs to be signed by President Donald Trump.