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Smartphones Need 'Do Not Track Me' Function, Consumer Watchdog Says After Wall Street Journal Article Shows Extensive Data Sharing By Companies
December 20, 2010The Do Not Track Me function proposed in the Federal Trade Commission's recently released online privacy report must be extended to include smartphones, Consumer Watchdog said today in the wake of a Wall Street Journal article showing how applications for the iPhone and Android phones widely share personal data without the users' knowledge or consent. The Journal's investigation, which appeared in Saturday's edition, found an "intrusive effort by online-tracking companies to gather personal data about people in order to flesh out detailed dossiers on them." "Most consumers don't realize it, but the smartphone in the pocket has become a spy for advertising companies," said John M. Simpson, Consumer Advocate with the nonpartisan, nonprofit public interest group, Consumer Watchdog. Full release
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