The US Senate has voted to overturn new privacy rules for internet service providers, employing a rarely used procedure to invalidate restrictions.

The measure repeals regulations approved in October by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) when it was controlled by Democrats.

The bill is expected to pass the House in the coming weeks with President Donald Trump, who campaigned on rolling back federal regulations, likely to sign the repeal.

The rules, which have not yet gone into effect, were put in place to protect web users, banning internet service providers from sharing consumers’ web browsing data, including history and financial, health, communications and location information, without their prior approval.

Republicans and broadband companies opposed the rules because they imposed tougher restrictions on high-speed internet providers than on websites and social networks, which also collect and use such data.

Democrats opposed the repeal and said it was the beginning of Republican efforts to roll back key telecommunications policies enacted during the Barack Obama’s administration.

If the Senate’s decision is approved, the FCC will be prevented from introducing similar rules in the future, and will have to create a new set of privacy requirements.