Privacy Rule Imperils Data Riches as AT&T Pursues Time Warner
- FCC is taking up rules to limit sharing of web user data
- Scrutiny comes as AT&T proposes buying data-rich Time Warner
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AT&T Inc. says one reason it wants to buy Time Warner Inc. is to enrich the consumer data it sells to advertisers, offering insights gleaned from viewers of a trove of newly acquired programming such as HBO and CNN.
But as it gains on one front, the communications giant could lose ground on another. On Thursday the Federal Communications Commission is to consider limiting freedom of Internet-service providers such as AT&T and Comcast Corp. from using what they know about subscribers’ web browsing and app usage.