Lawmakers Ask Apple App Makers About Privacy

Two members of Congress are pushing ahead with an investigation into privacy issues in Apple’s App Store. After contacting Apple earlier this month with questions about app privacy, the lawmakers have now sent letters to 34 app developers requesting information about their data-collection techniques.
Representatives Henry A. Waxman, Democrat of California, and G.K. Butterfield, Democrat of North Carolina, sent joint letters on Thursday to makers of social networking apps, including Foodspotting, Twitter, Turntable.fm and Path, among others.
They said they chose the list of apps from the “Social Networking” subcategory within the iPhone Essentials area of Apple’s iTunes App Store.
On the Energy and Commerce Committee Web site, the two representatives wrote: “Following recent reports that apps could collect address book information and photos without notice and consent from users of Apple’s mobile devices, the members are seeking to better understand what, if any, information these particular apps gather, what they do with it, and what notice they provide to app users.”
The letters also state that the information will be used to “to begin building a fact-based understanding of the privacy and security practices in the app marketplace.”
Apple did not respond to a request for comment about the letters.
In the letters, the representatives cite reports from The New York Times revealing that apps can access users’ photographs and address books.
Mr. Waxman and Mr. Butterfield ask the app makers whether they have privacy policies in place, and if they have ever collected a user’s address book, photo gallery or phone number, among other questions.
The letters request written responses from the app makers by April 12.
Google, too, is facing some scrutiny about app privacy. After a report in The Times earlier this month that Android apps can also secretly access photo libraries, Senator Charles E. Schumer called for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate both Apple and Google regarding app privacy issues.