Franken to Apple, Google: Privacy Policy is "Simple First Step"

By James Lee Phillips

May 26, 2011 7:56 AM EDT

One of the United States' more high-profile lawmakers created headlines by writing a letter to two mobile giants today, stressing the widespread and urgent need for increased mobile privacy.

Senator Al Franken (Dem, Minnesota) specifically addressed CEOs Steve Jobs (Apple) and Larry Page (Google) with the need to offer a "simple first step" to users via a privacy policy that clearly states the basic user data collected by smartphone apps.

Franken quoted a study from TRUSTe and Harris Interactive, which stated in part that fewer than one-fifth of the top 340 free apps for mobile phones have links to privacy policies.

"At a minimum," Franken wrote, "I ask that you require all location-aware applications in your app stores to provide privacy policies that clearly specify what kind of location information is gathered from users, how that information is used, and how it is shared with third parties."

This letter comes hot on the heels of the Apple controversy regarding location-tracking, in which it was revealed that an unsecured database of iPhone and iPad users' movements was uploaded and downloaded via updates to iTunes, Apple's immensely popular media distribution application. Likewise, Google has for some time now been using location data from users to 'personalize' marketing and targeted advertising for local companies, albeit with more anonymous identification that is less directly linked to personal data.

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Both Apple and Google defended their practices at hearings in Washington over the past weeks, where a Senate Judiciary subcommittee raised a number of pointed questions about the amount, method, and use of personal data that is collected and maintained by mobile applications. On May 19th, Senator Jay Rockefeller (Dem, West Virgina) stated firmly that mobile applications "have to be regulated."

“The mobile marketplace is so new and technology is moving so quickly that many consumers do not understand the privacy implications of their actions," said Rockefeller.

James Lee Phillips is a Senior Writer & Research Analyst for IBG.com. With offices in Dallas, Las Vegas, and New York, & London, IBG is quickly becoming the leading expert in Internet Marketing, Local Search, SEO, Website Development and Reputation Management. More information can be found at www.ibg.com.

This article is contributed by IBG.com and does not represent the views or opinions of International Business Times.