Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04), author of the first bipartisan mobile privacy bill the APPS Act of 2013, issued the following statement on news that short-form privacy notices created by the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) mobile app negotiators are set to start undergoing user testing and implementation:
"We are at a critical juncture in protecting consumers' privacy on mobile devices. The vast majority of consumers want apps that protect their privacy, and will avoid the ones that don't. We need to equip users with the right tools. That's why having clear notices about how an app collects and uses data on mobile devices is so important. I applaud the App Developers Alliance and ACT for their leadership in testing the NTIA code of conduct for transparency. This rigorous, bottom-up approach to mobile privacy is essential to producing smart notices that work."
Background:
In August, the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) concluded a multi-stakeholder process to develop an industry code to inform consumers of data collection on mobile devices. As part of this code, developers must provide notices to users about the data an app collects and shares "where practicable." ACT and the Application Developers Alliances are working toward implementing the NTIA code through privacy short-form notices. In October, Congressman Johnson sent a letter to President Obama encouraging the president to consider H.R. 1913, the APPS Act, as the basis for comprehensive privacy legislation. "By bringing baseline privacy protections to mobile devices, the APPS Act would protect and empower consumers with transparency, notice, and control on mobile devices," Johnson wrote in the letter.