Location Controls in iOS 11 Highlight the Role of Platforms
From Pokémon Go, to the geo-targeting of abortion clinics, to state legislative efforts, the last year has seen significant attention paid to the many ways our apps use and often share location data. In the midst of this heightened awareness of geo-location privacy, iPhone users and app developers may notice a difference this Fall, when Apple will be releasing updates to iOS 11 that will increase users’ control over how their geo-location may be collected and used. The changes highlight the ongoing importance—and legal implications—of platform settings for consumer privacy.
Google Provides Open Source Platform for Beacon Security
After an initial splash, news about beacon technology has been fairly quiet recently, but last week an advancement was announced that will support easier access to privacy and security capabilities on this unique technology. Beacons are sometimes misunderstood – thought to collect or retain data on nearby people, or able to track smartphone movements without […]
Travis LeBlanc on the FCC's New Privacy Role
At today’s FCBA brown bag lunch, FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc discussed the Commission’s recent entrance into privacy enforcement and fielded questions as to what companies might do to avoid running afoul of the Enforcement Bureau. LeBlanc emphasized the innovation continues to outpace regulators, noting that much of the Commission’s investigative and enforcement work […]
Wall Street Journal: MLA-Driven Approach to Airport Wait Times
On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal published an article about long lines at U.S. customs in airports around the country, and what airlines are doing to shorten them. They include a spreadsheet where you can see the kind information that’s been collected thanks to Mobile Location Analytics (“MLA”) technology. This is just one example of […]
FPF list of Federal Anti-discrimination laws
Civil rights groups have recently highlighted the importance of respecting civil rights in this era of “big data” . The White House has echoed these concerns in its Big Data Privacy Review. As supporters of the benefits of responsible data use, we thought it would be helpful to companies and advocates to have a convenient list of existing […]
Happy New Year from the Future of Privacy Forum!
Happy New Year! Dear Friends, Happy New Year from the Future of Privacy Forum! And thank you for following our work and for your support in advancing privacy issues. Here is our 2013 List of Ins and Outs for your enjoyment. On behalf of the entire team at FPF we wish you a fulfilling […]