Tech

US senator asks FTC to investigate Apple and Google over mobile tracking


A group of Democratic senators is urge Federal Trade Commission to investigate Apple and Google for their collection of mobile user information. In one Letters Before FTC Chair Lina Khan, lawmakers — Senators Ron Wyden, Elizabeth Warren, Cory A. Booker and Sara Jacobs — accused the tech giants of “engaging in deceptive and unfair practices.” by enabling the collection and sale of hundreds of millions of mobile phones users’ personal data.” They added that the companies were “facilitating these harmful activities by building tracking IDs for specifically for advertising into their mobile operating system.”

The senators specifically mentioned in their letter that individuals seeking abortions would become particularly vulnerable if their data, particularly their location information, was obtained. collect and share. They wrote the letter just before the Supreme Court formally overturned the Roe v. Wade case, making abortion immediately illegal in states with trigger laws. They explained that the data brokers sold the location information of people who visited abortion providers. The senators also highlighted how that information could now be used by private citizens encouraged by “bounty hunter” laws targeting individuals who want abortions.

Android and Google have been built with tracking identifiers used for advertising purposes. While the identifiers are supposed to be anonymous, the senators said data brokers are selling databases that associate them with consumer names, email addresses and phone numbers. Apple roll out an update for iOS last year to implement stricter app-tracking security measures, requiring apps to ask for permission before collecting a uniquely identifying device code for users’ advertisers.

According to them, Google still has that tracking identifier enabled by default. Former company introduce features to make it harder to track users across apps and recent to swear to refine Android’s Secure Sandbox “with the goal of introducing new, more private advertising solutions.” The tech giant told Ars Technica: “Google never sells user data, and Google Play prohibits the sale of user data by developers… Any claim that the advertising ID was created to facilitate the sale of data is true false.”

Despite the solutions the companies have come up with, lawmakers say they have caused damage. It is now asking the FTC to review the role Apple and Google play in “turning online advertising into a rigorous monitoring system that encourages and facilitates the unrestricted and ongoing collection of sales.” personal data of Americans.”

Wyden and 41 other Democratic lawmakers also urge Last month, Google stopped collecting and retaining location data that can be used against people who have or are seeking abortions. More recently, another group of lawmakers led by Senator Mark Warner and Rep. Elissa Slotkin asked the company to “deal with manipulative search results” that discourage people seeking to circumvent pregnant. to anti-abortion clinics” instead of.

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