TMCnet News
After Pressure from Sen. Franken, Federal Officials Take Action Against Dangerous 'Stalking Apps'(Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- The office of Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., issued the following news release: After U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) pressed key federal officials to investigate and prosecute the makers of so-called "stalking apps"--which abusers can put on victims' smartphones to secretly track their calls, texts, location, and other personal data--the Department of Justice (DOJ) has taken unprecedented legal action against the developer of mobile app StealthGenie. In October 2011, Sen. Franken and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) asked top officials at the DOJ and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to use their full force to crack down on and prosecute the makers of these apps. Federal law enforcement agents flagged advertisements for StealthGenie in November 2011, leading to the indictment and arrest of the app's maker announced this week.http://www.franken.senate.gov/files/documents/111024StalkingApps.pdf Sen. Franken also has comprehensive location privacy legislation that would outlaw the development, operation, and sale of stalking apps. You can read about his bill here.http://www.franken.senate.gov/files/documents/140327Locationprivacy.pdf "Most Americans have smartphones now," said Sen. Franken. "And the companies that make the software on your phone, including apps, can track your phone activity and location at any time. People ought to be able to control who can access their sensitive information, and stalking apps on cell phones directly violate that principle. For years, I've been fighting to crack down on these dangerous apps--I've pressed federal officials, I've written legislation, and I've held hearings in my Judiciary subcommittee--and the DOJ's decision to prosecute the maker of StealthGenie is an important one. "But we also need stronger tools at our disposal. Currently, there is no federal law banning the secret collection of location data. That's why we need to pass my legislation to ban stalking apps once and for all. My commonsense bill will help a whole range of people--including victims of domestic violence. My bill would finally put an end to GPS stalking apps that allow abusers to secretly track their victims, and it would also give consumers more control over their very sensitive location data." As Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, Sen. Franken has long fought to shut down stalking apps. In 2011, the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women was the first constituent group to contact Sen. Franken after hearing about his efforts to address concerns about the tracking capabilities of mobile devices. You can read their testimony here.http://www.franken.senate.gov/files/documents/110510_NNEDV_MCBW_Mobile_Privacy_Testimony.pdf In 2012, Sen. Franken's bill took a key first step toward becoming law when it passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with bipartisan support. He reintroduced the bill in spring of 2014.http://www.franken.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=2755 TNS 30TacordaCheng-141001-4880930 30TacordaCheng (c) 2014 Targeted News Service |