US Congress investigates the privacy of Apple and Google – News Technology – Technology



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The authorities' control over privacy will affect the doors of Apple and Google. On Monday, four senior US politicians in the House of Representatives sent letters to both companies asking questions about their privacy practices on mobile phones, location data and the processing of their customers' data.

and Commerce, Greg Walden, along with three other Republicans, wrote two letters to companies "to study the representation of companies in front of third party access to consumer data and the collection and l '; use of audio recording data ".

According to politicians, the goal is also to know the processing of location information collected via iOS and Android devices .

Letters continue the efforts of the US Congress. UU to investigate the privacy practices after the hearing of Mark Zuckerberg in April, following the scandal Cambridge Analytica, during which data of 87 million. users could be accessed inappropriately.

business practices that may affect Americans' expectations of confidentiality. "

The letters, which were public on Monday, ask if Android devices or iPhones phones collect audio recordings from users without their consent and point out that ] companies can use consumer data, including location information and user records, "unexpectedly for consumers" .

Texts cite reports that smartphones can collect unactivated audio data from user conversations near a smartphone for example listen or A phrase "trigger" like "Ok Google" or "Hey Siri".

"It has been suggested that third-party applications have access to this data "unactivated" and use them, without revealing them to users, "he writes.

Alphabet said Monday that he would answer questions from the committee. In a statement, he said: "Protecting the privacy of our users and ensuring their information is of utmost importance to Google." At present, Apple has declined to comment.

The letter sent to Google's parent company indicates that in June 2017, the firm announced changes in Gmail that would prevent the scanning of a user's e-mail content so to personalize the advertisements. However, the Committee cited a Wall Street Journal report last week that "Google still allowed third parties to access the user's email content, including the text of the message, e-mail signatures and receipt data, to personalize the content. " The letters ask the two companies to answer questions by July 23 and to inform committee members of the issues raised.

EDITORIAL OF TECHNOLOGY *
* With Reuters

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