Sen. Franken asks Pokemon Go creator: Why all the privacy problems?
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/07/sen-franken-asks-pokemon-go-creator-why-all-the-privacy-problems/
Yesterday, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) sent a letter (PDF) to
game creator Niantic asking the company to explain that issue,
as well as some of the other privacy choices in the game. The
letter notes that Pokmon Go collects profile and account
information, location data, and data "obtained through Cookies
and Web Beacons." The game also asks permission to do things
like control vibration and prevent the phone from sleeping.
Franken wants to know what information and functions exist to
support and improve services, and what's being gathered for
"other purposes." [Police warn that muggers can "add a beacon
to a Pokstop to lure more players."] Franken, the top
Democrat on the Senate Privacy and Technology Subcommittee,
also asks if Niantic would consider making more of the
information gathering "opt-in" rather than requiring users to
"opt out" if they don't want data collected. He also wanted to
know what third parties The Pokmon Company shares information
with, and what kind of parental consent is obtained with
regards to the personal information of children.
- - -
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein ([email protected]): http://www.vortex.com/lauren
Founder:
- Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org
- PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com/privacy-info
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org/pfir-info
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Google+: http://google.com/+LaurenWeinstein
Twitter: http://twitter.com/laurenweinstein
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com
I have consulted to Google, but I am not currently
doing so -- my opinions expressed here are mine alone.
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