We used to believe that an Orwellian world of being tracked wherever we went was the work of science fiction. Reality seems to have caught up.
This week, security researchers discovered that Apple iPhones and iPads have been tracking and storing the travels and locations of users. These records were kept in unencrypted files on the phone and on whatever computer the phone was synced to -- leaving consumers unaware, and unprotected.
Too often, Americans are kept in the dark about what our devices are tracking and why. It takes the work of security researchers and hackers to stumble upon these hidden features.
Breaches of privacy like this make it clear: With mobile technology expanding, current privacy regulations fail to protect and empower consumers. Congress must move quickly to pass 21st-century privacy legislation that puts the off button back in consumers' hands.
That's why I am calling on Congress to pass privacy legislation rooted in these basic, easy-to-understand principles:
- Companies must disclose any and all consumer data tracking and storage systems.
- Consumers have a right to "opt-out," and request that previously collected data be removed.
- Consumers have the right to know, in clear terms, any time information is going to be shared with a third-party.
Millions of Americans own iPhones, iPads, or other location-aware devices. For many, it is hard to imagine life without immediate access to the web, our friends, and maps to tell us how to get from point A to point B with the touch of a finger.
But we do not have to trade our privacy for connectivity and convenience.
Over the next few weeks, my colleagues and I in the House will ask the tough questions to get to the bottom of this issue. Today, I'm launching a petition to help me show Congress and the president that Americans want privacy reform, and that without comprehensive privacy legislation that protects consumers, this will continue to happen.
We can put consumers back in control of their own information, but I need your help to make sure this important issue gets the attention it deserves.