U.S. Senate Democrat Al Franken has released the following press release, verbatim:
U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) today pressed Apple and Google, the owners of the two biggest application stores for mobile devices, to require clear and understandable privacy policies for all of their apps. If the companies agree to this request, consumers who purchase apps from Apple or Google’s app stores would have a clearer understanding of what information is being collected about them and with whom it’s being shared. The letter is a follow-up to questions Sen. Franken asked of witnesses from Apple and Google at a recent hearing of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, which Sen. Franken chairs.
“Apple and Google have each said time and again that they are committed to protecting users’ privacy,” the senator wrote in a letter to the companies. “This is an easy opportunity for your companies to put that commitment into action.”
A recent study found that of the top 340 free apps, fewer than 20 percent included a link to a privacy policy, meaning that users who purchase apps have little knowledge about who is getting their personal information, how it’s being used, and who it’s being shared with.
The letter reiterates the request Sen. Franken made to Dr. Guy “Bud” Tribble, Apple’s Vice President of Software Technology and Alan Davidson, Google’s Director of Public Policy, who both testified at a May 10 hearing of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law called Protecting Mobile Privacy: Your Smartphones, Tablets, Cell Phones and Your Privacy.
To read the full text of the letter, click here.
Protecting Minnesotans’ and Americans’ consumer rights and privacy has been a priority for Sen. Franken since he came to the Senate. In addition to holding the recent hearing on mobile technology and privacy, Sen. Franken also sent a letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs asking him to address privacy concerns about the company’s iOS 4 operating system that stored users’ location information in an unencrypted format on users’ mobile devices and home computers.
Last year, Sen. Franken pressed Attorney General Holder to incorporate an analysis of geotags-information about a person’s location that is embedded in photos and videos taken with GPS-equipped smartphones-into an updated stalking victimization study connected to the National Crime Victimization Survey. This March, Sen. Franken also led several of his Senate colleagues in urging Facebook to stop plans that would have permitted third party application providers to access users’ home addresses and phone numbers. He also asked the U.S. Department of Justice to clarify its interpretation of a critical federal law that protects personal data after a security breach at Epsilon Data Management and allegations that several popular smartphone applications were gathering and disclosing users’ private information without their knowledge or consent.
Source: Official Web Site of Sen. Al Franken
Related articles:
U.S. Senate Democrat Rockefeller: Totally unregulated apps have to be regulated – May 20, 2011
U.S. Senate Democrat Leahy introduces electronic communications privacy bill – May 18, 2011
Apple, Google, and Facebook to face 2nd U.S. Senate hearing on May 19 – May 17, 2011
Apple open to lawsuit over location data collection – May 11, 2011
Apple, Google detail mobile privacy policies before US Senate subcommittee – May 10, 2011
Recap of Apple and Google’s testimony before Senator Al Franken’s mobile privacy hearing – May 10, 2011
