Days after Apple changed its privacy policy and terms of service, the House of Representatives Bipartisan Privacy Caucus has a few questions for CEO Steve Jobs. Nine, to be precise.
In a June 24 letter to Jobs, Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), co-chairs of the panel, called on Jobs to “explain in detail why Apple decided to begin collecting location data at this time and how it intends to use the data.”
They also want to know which Apple products collect the data, who’s sharing it, how it’s being stored and protected, when it started, and a host of other things.
Their concern stems from news that the Cupertino, Calif.-based computer giant updated its disclosures to warn that “Apple and our partners and licensees may collect, use and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device.”
But Apple insists “This location data is collected anonymously in a form that does not personally identify you and is used by Apple and our partners and licensees to provide and improve location-based products and services.” Some applications, such as the MobileMe Find My iPhone feature, are useless without personal information, Apple notes in its updated privacy policy.
Markey and Barton note that “Given the limited ability of Apple users to opt out of the revised policy and still be able to take advantage of the features of their Apple products, we are concerned about the impact the collection of such data could have on the privacy of Apple’s customers.”
The onus is on Apple, they wrote, to show that it is in compliance with Section 222 of the Communications Act, which prohibits the sharing of consumer location information without explicit prior consent.
Apple didn’t respond to our request for comment in time for publication.