Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Congressmen Send Inquiries to 34 App Developers Over Privacy Practices
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The idiots who keep re-electing Henry Waxman deserve everything they get.
Especially this sort of Congressional insanity.
Especially this sort of Congressional insanity.
Yeah, we don't need anyone to protect our Constitutional Right to Privacy! Let those developers collect any data they want and sell it to the highest bidder like most corporations do these days with our addresses and phone numbers! We don't need anyone to protect our children from forced labor either. Do away with those laws! We don't need OSHA! We could make more money if we just let the workers breathe toxic fumes and sniff asbestos! Boo! Down with regulations! They just send the work to sweat shops in China! We could have those sweat shops here in the U.S.! Kids don't need to go out and play! Let them sew shirts and pay them with a piece of bubblegum at the end of the 16 hour day.
Everything else must be under control and they are getting a bit bored. While the house spends time on this the senate is getting ready to hold hearings on violence in the NFL.
I don't have a problem with this what so ever. If the government is of the people, by the people and for the people, then the people are looking to protect me from someone selling my info.
You know it's not that difficult to steal one's identity based on the information in a cellphone. If you ask why should you care, that's a big one. In this example, not only are you freely giving your personal information, but you are giving away the personal information of all your friend's and acquaintances as well.
You know it's not that difficult to steal one's identity based on the information in a cellphone. If you ask why should you care, that's a big one. In this example, not only are you freely giving your personal information, but you are giving away the personal information of all your friend's and acquaintances as well.
Our lawyers advised us not to respond. This is not an official request, it's a letter from one congressman's office.
It's a witch hunt.
If Congress opens an official investigation we will be happy to provide any information they request that is not in violation of the law. Until then, we will not respond.
Why? If we respond, we can be called as witnesses in any Congressional Enquiry against any developer. When testifying before Congress, you don't have the same rights as you have in a trial in a court of law... It's a very slippery slope.
I do not believe this is anything other than an election year stunt.
OK, how about a request from a fellow MacRumors participant?
* What apps do you offer?
* What information do you take?
* Why do you take that information?
* Prove that you need all the information that you take to make the app work for the user.
If you have nothing to hide, I'm sure you'll be happy to answer these questions for your user base, both current and prospective.
But, perhaps, maybe you are hiding something.
Sunshine makes a great disinfectant.
I think the correct reply would be:
"Dear Congressman, you requested information from us which we believe are or may be trade secrets of our company. Before we can give out any of this information, we need to know:
1. If we supply this information, who would it be made available to?
2. Who else would be legally entitled to request the information that we supply?
3. What legal remedies would be available to us if the information is made available to anybody or accessed by anybody outside the groups from question 1 and 2?
4. What measures are in place to prevent anybody who is not entitled from reading this information?
5. Have there been any breaches of these measures in the past? "
Wrong........
Sorry, but you are not correct. In the example of the social network app, Path, it was discovered to be uploading the user's entire address book without notification. NOWHERE in the agreement does it state they would be taking information other than what the user decides to post.
It is absolutely frightening that the general attitude of the posters on this board seem to be ok with invasions of privacy. If you or any other poster think that this does not affect your freedom you are sadly mistaken. Think about it -- you purchased a device to utilize as book of record for very personal information. If you need to worry about people taking that information for their gain you have lost your freedom to fully utilize the device you paid for.
If you had a paper-based address book and calendar I seriously doubt you would open it up for anyone to see. Not to mention the fact that if I certainly did NOT authorize any of my friends to share my contact information with a 3rd party, but that is exactly what is happening.
The general attitude on this board that this is not a pressing issue for the government is just wrong. Taking my, or anyone else's information without full disclosure is theft. If you think it isn't you are just plain dumb.
Sorry, but you are not correct. In the example of the social network app, Path, it was discovered to be uploading the user's entire address book without notification. NOWHERE in the agreement does it state they would be taking information other than what the user decides to post.
It is absolutely frightening that the general attitude of the posters on this board seem to be ok with invasions of privacy. If you or any other poster think that this does not affect your freedom you are sadly mistaken. Think about it -- you purchased a device to utilize as book of record for very personal information. If you need to worry about people taking that information for their gain you have lost your freedom to fully utilize the device you paid for.
If you had a paper-based address book and calendar I seriously doubt you would open it up for anyone to see. Not to mention the fact that if I certainly did NOT authorize any of my friends to share my contact information with a 3rd party, but that is exactly what is happening.
The general attitude on this board that this is not a pressing issue for the government is just wrong. Taking my, or anyone else's information without full disclosure is theft. If you think it isn't you are just plain dumb.
Last edited by a moderator:
And you trust the government to fix this problem? I thought it was frightening for one organization to have so much information about you.
Congressman wastes taxpayers hard earned dollar again
Whilest the intention may be noble and the thought lit with integrity. What guarantee do we have that a truthful solution will be achieved by both parties? Sad to say telecom companies have be monitoring us mush more than disclosed through various agencies designed for our own safety and yet invade the intricate details of our privacy.
Whilest the intention may be noble and the thought lit with integrity. What guarantee do we have that a truthful solution will be achieved by both parties? Sad to say telecom companies have be monitoring us mush more than disclosed through various agencies designed for our own safety and yet invade the intricate details of our privacy.
So voluntarily downloading software gives someone permission to collect all my personal data? Do you think most people even read 20 page Eulas for every single piece of software they install? They'd be there for hours just reading lawyer-speak crap. If that is all that warrants you to insult people as dumb and lazy, you just insulted most of the people on the planet.
You also assume that the developer is going to be up-front about collecting data, particularly if they intend to do harm with it at some future date. Identity theft is becoming more stealthy these days with many cards never being reported as having the number stolen because they only make small purchases at times like Christmas when most people wouldn't notice a misc. $10 charge. This is very common in organized crime these days and don't think that someone wouldn't make a fart app with hidden spyware built into it. But why keep an eye on things like that? Just post a warning, "download at your own risk", right?
Hey, we could save a LOT of tax dollars getting rid of all patrolling police officers and simply tell people, "Leave your house at your own risk" while we are at it. I mean who needs any regulations or watchdog groups?
You also assume that the developer is going to be up-front about collecting data, particularly if they intend to do harm with it at some future date. Identity theft is becoming more stealthy these days with many cards never being reported as having the number stolen because they only make small purchases at times like Christmas when most people wouldn't notice a misc. $10 charge. This is very common in organized crime these days and don't think that someone wouldn't make a fart app with hidden spyware built into it. But why keep an eye on things like that? Just post a warning, "download at your own risk", right?
Hey, we could save a LOT of tax dollars getting rid of all patrolling police officers and simply tell people, "Leave your house at your own risk" while we are at it. I mean who needs any regulations or watchdog groups?
Last edited by a moderator:
So voluntarily downloading software gives someone permission to collect all my personal data? Do you think most people even read 20 page Eulas for every single piece of software they install? They'd be there for hours just reading lawyer-speak crap. If that is all that warrants you to insult people as dumb and lazy, you just insulted most of the people on the planet.
You also assume that the developer is going to be up-front about collecting data, particularly if they intend to do harm with it at some future date. Identity theft is becoming more stealthy these days with many cards never being reported as having the number stolen because they only make small purchases at times like Christmas when most people wouldn't notice a misc. $10 charge. This is very common in organized crime these days and don't think that someone wouldn't make a fart app with hidden spyware built into it. But why keep an eye on things like that? Just post a warning, "download at your own risk", right?
Hey, we could save a LOT of tax dollars getting rid of all patrolling police officers and simply tell people, "Leave your house at your own risk" while we are at it. I mean who needs any regulations or watchdog groups?
And we have government hired people in schools policing kids lunches. All regulation is sooooo great.
Uh, sorry but you are changing the subject -- this has nothing to do with trusting our government. The government is not going to "fix" anything. But they can pass a law requiring a company give full disclosure/notification prior to accessing the user's personal information.
Once disclosure is given, an informed decision can be made about whether to allow the access. If a company does not obey the law the user will then have legal recourse to pursue a remedy for the theft. Presently there is nothing the user can do but stop using the offending app.
If you want to debate the trustworthiness of government I would be happy to do so, but that is a completely separate topic. And btw, I would certainly agree that our government is overstepping its bounds when it comes to data collection and monitoring of US citizens.
So they pass a law to make disclosure of data collecting for apps. Then they need to make some department to enforcing and policing. Government really doesn't have much of an incentive to carry this out effectively. Apple could because they are the gatekeepers of the app store and have an incentive to keep users happy. Bottom line is government regulation is not the answer.
Some people get this idea that because some government is bad and that some regulations are onerous that it's all bad. You have no idea what would be lost if all the regulations were removed from companies polluting toxic crap in your backyard to making kids work in coal mines to machines that haven no safety stop mechanisms on them if you get your hand in caught in them in a factory, etc. ALL these things happened before government regulation stopped them. Republicans LOVE to paint regulations as bad, but it's because safety equipment, etc. costs money and they'd rather pocket it than protect their workers from harm. There's no mystery there. You can over-regulate with red tape, but implying it's ALL bad is just plain ignorant.
I never said all regulation is bad. I mad a sarcastic statement about all regulation being good. Who said anything about republicans or democrats? I don't know where you are pulling that from.
I'm pulling it from personal knowledge. Most Republicans want to remove regulations as they believe it hampers business profits while Democrats have traditionally wanted more government regulation because they believe businesses won't do the right thing on their own, unwatched (which is understandable given how often that proves true, IMO). I couldn't say what independents want because they tend to eschew whatever parts of the platforms they don't like (I'm independent, for example, which is probably why I take centrist view on things like regulations. I hate red tape, but I want some things regulated. Deregulation of things like power companies has resulted in HIGHER costs to me, not lower like I was promised and that's because they want to make PROFIT and there really isn't much direct competition for many core services).