U.S House Questioning Apple & Alphabet on Privacy

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rgMekanic

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Reuters is reporting that four senior House Republicans have sent letters to the CEOs of Apple and Alphabet questioning location data, mobile phone privacy and the handling of customer data. The goal of the panel is, to quote the letter:

"to probe the companies' representation of third-party access to consumer data, and the collection and use of audio recording data as well as location information via iPhone and Android devices."

While Apple declined to comment, Alphabet said they would answer the committee's questions.

While I have my doubts that we will get any truth out of either company, it makes me happy to see some pressure being put on them in regards to user privacy.

The letters cited reports that smartphones can, and in some instances, do, "collect 'non-triggered' audio data from users' conversations near a smartphone in order to hear a 'trigger' phrase, such as 'Okay Google' or Hey Siri," They said there have been suggestions that third party applications have access to and use this 'non-triggered' data without disclosure to users.
 
Weird thing happened the other day, gf was over and was working on her laptop, we were talking about her employer a certain bank. An hour later i get a google opinion survey about her bank... wtf are the odds? I got 30 cents for the survey...
 
So, one half of the Government is screaming "Why aren't you protecting user data? You have to secure ALL THE THINGS on the phones from outside view!"

And the other half is screaming "We NEED a backdoor into the phone so we can view ALL THE THINGS, because terrorism!"


This is why we can't have nice things...
 
gxp500 said:
Weird thing happened the other day, gf was over and was working on her laptop, we were talking about her employer a certain bank. An hour later i get a google opinion survey about her bank... wtf are the odds? I got 30 cents for the survey...
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That happened yesterday with me and the wife looking for tile.

Facebook suddenly had shit loads of adds for tile on her phone.

And yet she keeps the app.
 
eh, if you have written for IOS you realize pretty fast the privacy on an iPhone is light years ahead of android. Yea it's a closed ecosystem, but it has advantages.
 
Just a matter of time (IMO within the time of the current Admin) that Facebook, Apple and all tech companies that deal with customer's private info online will be regulated. Anyone who thinks the Senators were fooled by Zuckerberg saying over and over, "I am truly sorry. Really, I am" are a fool
 
Still, Apple is far better at privacy than Alphabet or Facebook due to its policies (and it's business model does not depend on Data). Still, at least the Panel is doing something about privacy, even if just pretending since they realize that people demand privacy.
 
_l_ said:
Just a matter of time (IMO within the time of the current Admin) that Facebook, Apple and all tech companies that deal with customer's private info online will be regulated. Anyone who thinks the Senators were fooled by Zuckerberg saying over and over, "I am truly sorry. Really, I am" are a fool
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If you watched some of the full questioning, it was amazing to see a representative wave their finger at Zuckerberg, him proceed to give a non-answer and representative them kiss his ass for 2 minutes. What a fraud the whole thing was.
 
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jpm100 said:
If you watched some of the full questioning, it was amazing to see a representative wave their finger at Zuckerberg, him proceed to give a non-answer and representative them kiss his ass for 2 minutes. What a fraud the whole thing was.
Click to expand...

For perhaps most Politicians, they sell their soul for money, power and sex all the while thinking how pious they are when they are at church service come Sunday.
 
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