The “Locationgate” Saga Moves To Washington, D.C.
April 26, 2011
The ongoing “locationgate” saga will now head to Washington, D.C. Minnesota Senator Al Franken (D-Minn) has summoned representatives from Apple and Google to appear before a Senate judiciary hearing on mobile privacy on May 10.
The request, which was made public by Franken’s office today, will include witnesses from the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. In addition, Ashkan Soltani, independent privacy researcher and consultant, and Justin Brookman, Director of the Center for Democracy and Technology's Project on Consumer Privacy, will also be in attendance.
Franken, who heads the Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, calls the hearing “Protecting Mobile Privacy: Your Smartphones, Tablets, Cell Phones and Your Privacy.”
According to Franken:
"Recent advances in mobile technology have allowed Americans to stay connected like never before and put an astonishing number of resources at our fingertips. But 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. 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.”As of now, neither company has commented on the upcoming hearing. Early last week, the blogosphere was made aware that iDevices track our every move using a hidden file. Although “Locationgate” has largely ensnarled Apple exclusively, they aren’t the only ones collecting user data. Last week, BGR has confirmed user agreements for Google, Motorola, HTC, RIM, Microsoft, and HP/Palm contain similar language. Earlier today, we reported Apple CEO Steve Jobs told a customer, “We don’t track anyone. The info circulating around is false,” when referring to the controversy. He also deflected criticism by complaining about Google’s Android platform. What do you think? Leave your comments below.