SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Jessica Rosenworcel was confirmed as Federal Communications Commission chair on December 7, 2021. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
44 House Dems Urge FCC, FTC to Boost Privacy Protections for Consumers' Location Data
The lawmakers lamented that "apps can harvest personal information, such as geolocation and phone identifiers, even after users denied permission for such sharing."
Dec 10, 2021
Online privacy advocates on Thursday welcomed a letter by dozens of House Democrats urging the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission to enact rules prohibiting the collection and sale of consumers' location data.
Writing to FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel--who was confirmed to the post on Tuesday--and FTC Chair Lina Khan, 44 lawmakers led by Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) noted that "currently, app developers are able to collect sensitive user information and sell it to interested parties for a substantial profit."
"Apps can harvest personal information, such as geolocation and phone identifiers, even after users denied permission for such sharing," the lawmakers wrote. "We are concerned that the continued, unregulated commercialization of private geolocation data compromises the safety and privacy of consumers."
\u201cHave you ever denied an app from sharing your personal data? Some app developers are doing it anyway. @RepRaskin and I are urging @FTC and @FCC to crack down on companies that collect and sell sensitive user data, including geolocation and identifying information, for profit \u2b07\ufe0f\u201d— Rep. Katie Porter (@Rep. Katie Porter) 1639154966
"In the past, both FTC and FCC punished bad actors for failing to safeguard location data, but the agencies fell short of establishing prophylactic rules that will better protect consumers," they continued. "While we applaud the agencies' commitments to consumer privacy and safety, it is clear that more needs to be done. To that end, we ask that your agencies take... steps to better protect the safety and privacy of consumers."
The letter's signers want the FTC to:
- Define the sale, transfer, use, or purchase of precise location data collected by an app for purposes other than the essential function of the app as an "unfair act or practice";
- Define app developers' mislabeling of users' location data as "anonymous" as a "deceptive practice"; and
- Enforce its regulations against companies abusing consumers' location data through its penalty authority.
Digital rights groups including Accountable Tech, Common Cause, Free Press Action Fund, and Project on Government Oversight have endorsed the lawmakers' letter, which comes amid a serious Republican challenge to the confirmation of President Joe Biden's nomination of Gigi Sohn to fill the fifth FCC commissioner seat and give Democrats a 3-2 advantage on the regulator's governing body.
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
fccrights & justiceprivacyfederal trade commissionus houselina khanjessica rosenworceltechnologycommon cause
Online privacy advocates on Thursday welcomed a letter by dozens of House Democrats urging the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission to enact rules prohibiting the collection and sale of consumers' location data.
Writing to FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel--who was confirmed to the post on Tuesday--and FTC Chair Lina Khan, 44 lawmakers led by Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) noted that "currently, app developers are able to collect sensitive user information and sell it to interested parties for a substantial profit."
"Apps can harvest personal information, such as geolocation and phone identifiers, even after users denied permission for such sharing," the lawmakers wrote. "We are concerned that the continued, unregulated commercialization of private geolocation data compromises the safety and privacy of consumers."
\u201cHave you ever denied an app from sharing your personal data? Some app developers are doing it anyway. @RepRaskin and I are urging @FTC and @FCC to crack down on companies that collect and sell sensitive user data, including geolocation and identifying information, for profit \u2b07\ufe0f\u201d— Rep. Katie Porter (@Rep. Katie Porter) 1639154966
"In the past, both FTC and FCC punished bad actors for failing to safeguard location data, but the agencies fell short of establishing prophylactic rules that will better protect consumers," they continued. "While we applaud the agencies' commitments to consumer privacy and safety, it is clear that more needs to be done. To that end, we ask that your agencies take... steps to better protect the safety and privacy of consumers."
The letter's signers want the FTC to:
- Define the sale, transfer, use, or purchase of precise location data collected by an app for purposes other than the essential function of the app as an "unfair act or practice";
- Define app developers' mislabeling of users' location data as "anonymous" as a "deceptive practice"; and
- Enforce its regulations against companies abusing consumers' location data through its penalty authority.
Digital rights groups including Accountable Tech, Common Cause, Free Press Action Fund, and Project on Government Oversight have endorsed the lawmakers' letter, which comes amid a serious Republican challenge to the confirmation of President Joe Biden's nomination of Gigi Sohn to fill the fifth FCC commissioner seat and give Democrats a 3-2 advantage on the regulator's governing body.
Online privacy advocates on Thursday welcomed a letter by dozens of House Democrats urging the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission to enact rules prohibiting the collection and sale of consumers' location data.
Writing to FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel--who was confirmed to the post on Tuesday--and FTC Chair Lina Khan, 44 lawmakers led by Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) noted that "currently, app developers are able to collect sensitive user information and sell it to interested parties for a substantial profit."
"Apps can harvest personal information, such as geolocation and phone identifiers, even after users denied permission for such sharing," the lawmakers wrote. "We are concerned that the continued, unregulated commercialization of private geolocation data compromises the safety and privacy of consumers."
\u201cHave you ever denied an app from sharing your personal data? Some app developers are doing it anyway. @RepRaskin and I are urging @FTC and @FCC to crack down on companies that collect and sell sensitive user data, including geolocation and identifying information, for profit \u2b07\ufe0f\u201d— Rep. Katie Porter (@Rep. Katie Porter) 1639154966
"In the past, both FTC and FCC punished bad actors for failing to safeguard location data, but the agencies fell short of establishing prophylactic rules that will better protect consumers," they continued. "While we applaud the agencies' commitments to consumer privacy and safety, it is clear that more needs to be done. To that end, we ask that your agencies take... steps to better protect the safety and privacy of consumers."
The letter's signers want the FTC to:
- Define the sale, transfer, use, or purchase of precise location data collected by an app for purposes other than the essential function of the app as an "unfair act or practice";
- Define app developers' mislabeling of users' location data as "anonymous" as a "deceptive practice"; and
- Enforce its regulations against companies abusing consumers' location data through its penalty authority.
Digital rights groups including Accountable Tech, Common Cause, Free Press Action Fund, and Project on Government Oversight have endorsed the lawmakers' letter, which comes amid a serious Republican challenge to the confirmation of President Joe Biden's nomination of Gigi Sohn to fill the fifth FCC commissioner seat and give Democrats a 3-2 advantage on the regulator's governing body.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.