Franken invites Apple and Google to mobile privacy hearings
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After sending a stern letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs about possible privacy issues with the iPhone, DFL Sen. Al Franken has announced public hearings on smartphone privacy and invited representatives from Apple and Google to testify.
The hearings - scheduled for May 10th - come after security researchers published a report showing that iPhones maintain a detailed and unencrypted log of their owners' whereabouts. Phones using Google's Android operating system maintain similar, but less detailed records.
While applauding the technological ingenuity behind smartphones, Franken said, "This hearing is the first step in making certain that federal laws protecting consumers' privacy--particularly when it comes to mobile devices--keep pace with advances in technology."
It's not clear if Apple or Google have RSVP'd yes yet, but the hearings come at a time when the two companies' smartphone platforms are taking off.
Last week, Apple reported selling nearly 19 million iPhones in the first three months of the year. Meanwhile Google reports that 10 million Android devices are being activated every month.
These are the first hearing for the newly-formed Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, which Franken heads.
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