It was an awfully bad snowfall that paralyzed Washington, DC last week. While we may curse Old Man Winter, ‘tis the season for snow.  Unfortunately, it’s also the season for bad legislation – and we have to to worry about digging out the Internet from a pile of bad proposed state and federal laws.

Today NetChoice released its first iAWFUL list of 2010, taking stock of the most serious legislative threats facing the global Internet. The Internet Advocates’ Watchlist for Ugly Laws (iAWFUL) is our top ten – or more accurately, “bottom ten” – list of the worst proposed Internet laws in America.

Is privacy a broadband issue? We think not. Privacy is based on what consumers care about, not the speed of the pipe.

NetChoice filed comments today with the FCC, which were in response to the agency’s request for comments on online privacy issues. The FCC asked for comments on the use of personal information, identity management services and privacy protections across broadband applications. The questions raised in the request were drafted entirely by the Center for Democracy and Technology, and are an attempt to inject the privacy debate into discussion of the National Broadband Plan.

Last year there was discussion of a possible (now unlikely) return of the FCC’s “Fairness Doctrine” that used to apply to broadcasters. This year, we should all be aware of the FTC’s stepped-up rhetoric toward an “Unfairness Doctrine” for privacy–an increased effort toward enforcing the “unfair” part of Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive practices.

Historically, the approach of the FTC toward privacy has been one of notice and consent and to hold companies to the word of their privacy policies — if companies say one thing and then do another, the FTC goes after them for being deceptive. This is the “deceptive” part of the FTC’s power to enforce the law against unfair or deceptive commercial practices.

We’ve all heard someone use the phrase “making a federal case out of” something. Often it’s used when people overreact–as in stop making a federal case out of this! And that’s the  reaction we should have to the complaint filed by EPIC, Center for Digital Democracy, and others with the FTC. Because they have literally made a federal consumer protection case out of what should be a a customer relations issue between Facebook and its users.

Facebook’s users are quick and vocal about Facebook’s privacy practices. And Facebook has been quick to respond. The Facebook blog on privacy highlights all its recent undertakings to respond to privacy concerns, including the Facebook Site Governance page, the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, an open letter and other blog posts from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. There’s even Facebook Principles that highlight the site’s mission. How many other companies have been so transparent and responsive?