Sen. Charles Schumer is once again turning the spotlight on privacy, and this time the subject is Apple and Android phones.
The senator’s office on Sunday called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate reports that some apps on iPhones and Android handsets allow your entire photo library to be uploaded without your knowledge.
In the statement, Schumer said, “When someone takes a private photo, on a private cell phone, it should remain just that: private… Smartphone developers have an obligation to protect the private content of their users and not allow them to be veritable treasure troves of private, personal information that can then be uploaded and distributed without the consumer’s consent.”
“It is my understanding that many of these uses violate the terms of service of the Apple and Android platforms through which the apps are marketed and sold,” Schumer continued. “However, it is not clear whether or how those terms of service are being enforced and monitored… I hope you will consider launching a comprehensive investigation to explicitly determine whether copying or distributing personal information from smart phones, without a user’s consent, constitutes an unfair or deceptive trade practice.”
via Senator Calls for FTC Probe Into iPhone, Android Data Privacy | News & Opinion | PCMag.com.
