Appolicious: FTC member suggests requiring 'do not track' feature for mobile apps
The Federal Trade Commission is pushing for stricter privacy protections for Internet users when surfing the web, and if some of those protections go into effect online, the mobile app sphere could be next.
FTC member Julie Brill suggested mobile devices should have a "do not track" feature built in that disables apps from tracking location data, personal information, call logs and other potentially sensitive info, during a keynote address to the American Center for Progress. The Washington Post has the story.
The FTC recently released a list of questions and answers called "Understanding Mobile Apps" on its website, OnGuardOnline.gov. Among other things, the document warns mobile app users that apps can access all kinds of information readily available on smartphones, and can track location data. Often these apps might be capable of, or even actively engaging in, passing that information back to third parties, like advertising companies.
© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
Permalink
Post tags:
Al Franken's Blog
- Al Franken's profile
- 651 followers
