Boy was 2011 a little rough for the makers of Carrier IQ. For those unfamiliar with this, Carrier IQ is a sophisticated tracking software that runs on the background on phones, logging location information, text, call data and more. Due to the nature of Carrier IQ it appears that someone in Congress didn’t like how this snuck its way into the hands of millions without anyone ever knowing.
Thus a new bill introduced by Representative Ed Markey of Massachusetts would require carries in the U.S. to disclose to end users upon purchase of a mobile device any tracking software present on their device, now or in the future. The public heightened their interest in privacy of the information on mobile devices, and this proposal would actually help everyday consumers insuring that their information is private.
In addition to the notification of tracking software, the Mobile Device Act also requires the consent of the users in order for any data collection. While this is a step in the right direction, it is not a complete solution. The Act fails to mention anything about an opting out option for data collection. This means that carriers will still have the means to collect information, they just need your consent. Basically this would just mean that when purchasing a new mobile device, you will just have to sign one more line, acknowledging that you have been informed that information may be collected from your device.
But hey, this is a good start to things, so fingers crossed this one will be passed. Would you like to see this bill passed? What other changes would you add to it? Share with us your opinions in the comment section below.
[Via AllThingsD]
No comments:
Post a Comment