Smartphone apps suppliers under federal investigation

Online radio service Pandora and other apps suppliers for iPhone, Android

[Leosghost]

Pandora has been subpoenaed, other subpoenas have been issued on an industry-wide basis to publishers of smartphone apps. Federal prosecutors in New Jersey are investigating whether smartphone apps have been illegally collecting information about handset users without proper disclosures.

Story here [theregister.co.uk]

[wyweb]

I'm quite sure they are, collecting information. The issue is disclosure. The judge will simply order them to beef up their TOU, maybe fine them a couple bucks.

Search does it all the time. But they tell you about it. There's probably some finer distinctions that I'm not aware of and it's possible I'm reading this wrong as well but if the only issue is disclosure I can see Pandora et al simply agreeing to update their terms and it might not ever even see a courtroom.

[weeks]

It could be trouble if Pandora let it be known about how much time you spend listening to Barry Manilow. "No, it wasn't me. It was my brother..."