Smartphone privacy is in question on Capitol Hill as Sen. Al Franken believes that serious and dangerous violations have occurred. He is holding a hearing on May 10 on this issue where representatives from Apple and Google will be testifying.
The concern is around the location tracking feature of some smartphones like iPhone and iPad, which have been tracking their owners locations automatically for up to a year without their permission. Franken recently sent a letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs regarding Apple's latest OS, in which he said that the technology raises serious privacy concerns for users, especially kids and teenagers. Researchers say that the location information the phone stores is likely accurate to 50 meters or less. Anyone who gains access to this single file could determine the location of a user's home, the businesses her frequents, the doctors he visits, the schools his children attend and the trips he has taken over the past year.