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Attn. Apple: Here Comes The Hearings

Posted 4/26/11 at 2:06pm by jamie

Sen. Al Franken is still on a rampage over the recent news of Apple iOS devices recording their users every moves and now he will be holding a hearing:

Senator Al Franken (D-MN) has stepped up his pressure on Apple CEO Steve Jobs, announcing on Monday that he will hold hearings on the recent revelation that Apple iPhones and iPads are secretly tracking and storing their users' locations.

"The same technology that has given us smartphones, tablets, and cell phones has also allowed these devices to gather extremely sensitive information about users, including detailed records of their daily movements and location," Franken, Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, said in a statement posted on his website.

"This hearing is the first step in making certain that federal laws protecting consumers' privacy-particularly when it comes to mobile devices-keep pace with advances in technology," he added.

Franken said he has invited representatives from Apple and Google to attend the hearing, titled, "Protecting Mobile Privacy: Your Smartphones, Tablets, Cell Phones and Your Privacy." The hearing is scheduled for May 10.

I can’t wait to see who shows up and what they have to say. Hopefully more members of Congress, from both sides of the aisle, will get in on this.

Franken Isn’t Happy At All With Apple

Posted 4/21/11 at 2:31pm by jamie

Following the explosive news yesterday of Apple mobile devices recording their users every move (for background see here and here), Senator Al Franken is upset and demanding answers from Apple CEO Steve Jobs:

Franken expressed special concern for iPhone and iPad users who are minors, writing that an "estimated 13% of the 108 million iPhones and 19 Million iPad devices sold are used by individuals under the age of 18."

Among Franken's specific questions to Jobs are:

  • Why did Apple choose to initiate tracking this data in its iOS 4 operating system?
  • Why were Apple consumers never affirmatively informed of the collection and retention of their location data in this manner? Why did Apple not seek affirmative consent before doing so?
  • Does Apple believe this conduct is permissible under the terms of its privacy policy?

TPM has Franken’s full letter. It’s great to see a member of Congress take this kind of privacy breach serious. Hopefully more will soon, but in the mean time, I suggest everyone stay clear of Apple products.

Forgot Where You Were? Ask Your iPhone!

Posted 4/20/11 at 2:38pm by jamie

It turns out Apple has snuck a “feature” into their latest version of iOS, which powers iPhones and iPads. It’s a little tracking software that logs everywhere you have been:

It turns out that your iPhone is keeping a record of everywhere you've been since June. This data is stored on your phone (or iPad) and computer, easily available to anyone who gets their hands on it. Why? Apple won't say. We're creeped out.

The enormous privacy startle, apparently enabled by this summer's iOS 4 release, was discoveredby two security researchers, one of whom claims he was an Apple employee for five years. They're equally puzzled and disturbed by the location collection: "By passively logging your location without your permission, Apple have made it possible for anyone from a jealous spouse to a private investigator to get a detailed picture of your movements," they explain. All it would take to crack the information out of your iOS device is an easy jailbreak. On your computer, the information can be opened as easily as JPEG using the mapping software that the security experts have made for download--Try it yourself.

Apple didn’t tell anyone about this and there’s not even a way to disable it.

So why in the hell would Apple even do this? One thought was for advertising, but that goes against their policies. Another thought is that the government has asked them. If that’s the case, then why is this only in Apples and not in other mobile devices? I think these would be great questions that Congress should seek answers to.

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