Grilled Apple and Google on privacy





NEW YORK (CNNMoney) - Google and Apple are grilled on Capitol Hill on Tuesday for his alleged; door situation and challenges. The leaders of both companies appeared Tuesday at a hearing packed by the Senate Judiciary Committee Vice on privacy, technology and legal resources. This happens a few weeks after learning that smartphones and Tablet from Apple and Google, the information about the location of users and stores the information below. The unrest began in the video released last month after two British researchers, open source applications that can be stored by Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) customers see the data on their location and 3G iPads.



Alan Davidson, Google (GOOG, Fortune 500), the director of public policy, and Guy L., Bud Tribble, Apple's vice president, said he had heard. In his opening remarks, Senator Al Franken, D-Minn., A new subcommittee, Frank noted that privacy concerns were raised in an increasingly digital world. To me, this subcommittee to address the fundamental changes, says Franks. I want to use Google Maps - a free, no less I seem to see the time [local] IPAD in my ... But we need balance;



Franken cited the Wall Street Journal poll of 101 applications, including the newspaper noted that 47 requests for user information - some of them without permission. Apple Under Fire: Tribble, Apple's direction has opened his speech with remarks on the state data and therefore the company needs. The information is not kept with your exact location, said Tribble, but also adds Wi-Fi routers and mobile towers near the device.



This information is used to search for users when the GPS is not available, and a GPS signal quickly when you're in the area - information that is necessary for the tickets, and many other applications on your phone. ? Franken came later, exhausted and the statement, Mr. Tribble, then get up or not, these databases Apple Tribble, have the customer's name at all but admitted that the species should be addressed. Franken said dry, I think it's wrong.



Ashkan Soltani question francs, DC, an independent researcher, off-road. , The position of the device, and if you use it, usually with an accuracy of 100 meters, said Soltani. I want my position. Tribble noted that Apple provides users with transparent glass options, select the location and the company's third-party applications can receive data without your explicit consent. He also noted that the software update from Apple has a bug that the solution for over a year, instead of years, the scheduled day and the next version of the user data location IOS is encrypted promised.



Google, complicated, difficult questions were thrown into the Google-Davidson. In his statement, as Davidson Android place data, but only with your consent. Details of each site to Google's servers is unable or linked to specific users, he said. ; Privacy Demanded illegally Subcommittee members Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. Referring to the allegations concerning the security of Android. He is wrong, is not flat,,, Davidson said. ; We believe that it is not illegal, but it is not our intention.



Blumenthal question: if it is not illegal, do not you think it should be, Davidson was visibly shaken by the question. He said, I think the really complex problems, it is important, but we must be careful .. I do not blame us, blame the proposals: two Tribble Davidson pointed out the difficulty in controlling the data required that the third season. I do not want transport, as they appeared dealing with damaged goods, Tribble pleaded. Come to the manufacturer.



We have trucking companies if they knew what they were doing, said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, DR.I. I do not think the analogy with confidence convenient for you. The proposed data protection Jason Weinstein, attorney general at the Justice Department, said that weapons of mobile devices, is fertile ground for identity theft. ; Line between mobile devices and computers is shrinking every day, Weinstein said, noting that this will facilitate an attacker to a network of infected computers.



As technology evolves, even if the current and new variations of old problems, says Weinstein. , Before e-mail message was, now that the Android App of the old school of crime and the new cycle. Weinstein said that federal regulations do not require the disclosure range of information, such as the theft of millions of e-mail marketing firm Epsilon this year.



Jessica Rich, Assistant Director of the Office of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission said the FTC believes that consumers have no idea of ​​levels of access to data goes on behind the scenes. Rich suggested the application of the ban on collection of information if it is not necessary, the business model, and streamlined and conditions do not need to spend 100 clicks.