Privacy Groups Not Saying 'Yahoo!' Over Verizon Deal

Michael Calabrese and Eric Null were quoted in Broadcasting and Cable about Verizon's proposed purchase of Yahoo. 

"Verizon’s recent buying-spree of AOL and now Yahoo! illustrates that ISPs are rushing to supplement their already robust data collection capabilities to target marketing to their customers with highly personal and comprehensive data," said Eric Null, policy counsel for New America's Open Technology Institute. "As ISPs continue to seek ways to vertically integrate, the FCC must pass broadband privacy rules to give consumers the ability to choose whether they consent to their ISP engaging in such privacy-invasive practices."

Michael Calabrese, dirctor of the Open Technology Institute's Wireless Future Program saw another troubling takeaway.

“The acquisition of Yahoo’s assets is a drain on cash that reinforces the likelihood Verizon will not be a huge bidder in the ongoing incentive auction for TV band spectrum," he said. "Verizon is focusing instead on inexpensive small cell and unlicensed spectrum to densify capacity in high-traffic urban areas and venues."