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Tag: Charles Schumer

  • Google, Apple To Meet With Sen. Schumer Over Photo-Accessing Loophole

    Google and Apple might feel like they don’t have to explain themselves for allowing apps to help themselves to iPhone and Android smartphone users’ photos, but the tech companies have decided to tell it to Senator Charles Schumer. In a phone interview, Schumer, a Democrat from New York, told The New York Times that the two companies have agreed to meet with him so as to discuss the privacy exploit that allows apps access to users’ personal photos.

    “We asked them if they could find a way on their own to prevent apps from having access to private info,” Mr. Schumer said. “They were friendly and open to the idea that this ought to be changed.”

    A Google spokeswoman, Gina Scigliano, said the company had nothing further to share at that time. Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

    Schumer framed his meeting with the two leaders of the smartphone industry as a chance for them to rectify the problem on their own. However, if they don’t fix the problem, Schumer said, his hand would be forced to take the issue further. “I’m optimistic that we can get this changed without any regulation,” he told the Times.

    After news broke about Google and Apple’s careless protection of user privacy, Schumer penned a letter to the Federal Trade Commission saying that the news “sends shivers up the spine to think that one’s personal photos, address book, and who knows what else” could be so easily accessed without user consent or knowledge. “Smartphone developers have an obligation to protect the private content of their users.”

    In the letter he also called on the FTC to investigate Google and Apple for their photo-poaching practices but that was before his announcement that he’d be meeting with reps for the two companies to try to resolve the matter.

    Schumer is a member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and Law, whose jurisdiction includes privacy standards for the collection, retention, use and dissemination of personal information companies as well as privacy implication of new or emerging technologies.

  • Apple To Address iPhone 4 Problems Friday

    Apple is holding a press conference tomorrow at 10 a.m. Pacific Time to address the issues surrounding the iPhone 4 and it antenna problem.

    Many users of the iPhone 4 have reported weak reception when it’s held a certain way, leading to it being called the "iPhone 4 death grip."

    iPhone-4 Earlier this week Consumer Reports said it could not recommend the iPhone 4, but did mention attaching duct tape to the antenna gap to remedy the reception issues.

    "Apple needs to come up with a permanent-and free-fix for the antenna problem before we can recommend the iPhone 4," Consumer Reports said.

    The controversy surrounding the iPhone has even attracted the attention of Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) who said in a letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs that the solutions offered to fix the problem have been "insufficient."

    "The burden for consumers caused by this glitch, combined with the confusion over its cause and how it will be fixed, has the potential to undermine the many benefits of this innovative device," Schumer wrote.

    "To address this concern, I ask that Apple provide iPhone 4 customers with a clearly written explanation of the cause of the reception problem and make a public commitment to remedy it free-of-charge. The solutions offered to date by Apple for dealing with the so-called "death grip" malfunction-such as holding the device differently, or buying a cover for it-seem to be insufficient."
     

     

  • Senator Contests Facebook’s New Approach To Privacy

    Privacy experts and random users are no longer the only ones complaining about how Facebook’s latest moves have affected privacy.  Senator Charles Schumer made an objection of his own yesterday, and in fact asked the Federal Trade Commission to provide guidelines concerning the use of private info.

    Charles SchumerThe good news for Facebook is that Schumer hasn’t declared war on social networks.  At times, his letter to the FTC was quite complimentary; Kemberly Richardson reported that he wrote, "These sites have helped reconnect old friends, allow families from far away to stay in touch, and created new friendships; overall they provide a great new way to communicate."

    He continued, however, "As these sites become more and more popular . . . it’s vitally important that safeguards are in place that provide users with control over their personal information to ensure they don’t receive unwanted solicitations."

    And Schumer also wrote with regards to the lengthy series of steps required to decline using Facebook’s latest features, "This opt out procedure is confusing, unclear, and you might even say hidden."

    Facebook, meanwhile, is standing by its privacy controls and experiment involving Microsoft, Pandora, and Yelp, so it doesn’t look like Schumer’s letter will incite any changes on its own at this point.