Attorney General Lisa Madigan has called for a meeting with Apple and Google executives in the wake of reports that iPhones, iPads and Google Android devices are collecting and storing detailed information about users’ locations.
Madigan sent a letter to both technology manufacturers in response to press reports that Apple and Google mobile devices store user location information that can be transmitted back to the companies. The information — latitude and longitude coordinates coupled with a timestamp — is reportedly unencrypted and unprotected. The Attorney General has asked the companies to detail what information the company is storing, for how long and what it is used for.
“I want to know whether consumers have been informed of what is being tracked and stored by Apple and Google and whether those tracking and storage features can be disabled,” Madigan says. “It’s important that these companies ensure that their users’ private information is protected.”