Protecting the privacy of Cable subscribers was originally legislated in 1984 with the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984. Cable companies had begun selling information about subscribers to other parties without full disclosure to subscribers. This act put a stop to that by starting a policy called ‘opt-in’. Prior notification to subscribers about what data is being recorded and sent must be communicated to subscribers. Prior written or electronic consent has to be given by subscribers before the data may be sold or otherwise distributed. All data thereafter must be destroyed.

Opt-out solutions put the onus on the subscriber rather than the cable company to investigate the situation. Now, explanations are buried in fine print of subscriber agreements. In effect the cable company makes the policy without true prior understanding and permission from the subscribers.

Now cable companies and other ISP’s want to record and sell private information about subscribers to third parties who will likely sell your data for whatever money they can get to whomever can pay. Subscribers won’t even have to be notified of the transactions.