Public Knowledge Urges FCC to Address Privacy Concerns with E911 Rules

Public Knowledge and 16 other organizations sent a letter to the Commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission urging them to consider and resolve privacy concerns when they vote on “E911” wireless location accuracy later in January. Despite privacy concerns, the letter we submitted to the FCC Commissioners still encourages them to implement strong wireless location accuracy rules, but also asks them to consider and address the privacy implications of these rules before new technology is implemented.

We urge the FCC to require multiple privacy protections, including:

• A mechanism whereby owners of wireless consumer home products are able to opt out of having their devices included in the National Emergency Address Database.
• A system design in which E911 location functionality can only be triggered through the handset, and not remotely.
• Assurance that technologies designed to comply with E911 requirements will not be made available to third parties without consumers’ express opt-in consent.
• Assurance that consumers will be able to turn location services on or off via a global setting on their mobile device, as well as grant or deny access to location services to each application.
• Assurance that information gathered from E911 technologies are not used by or disseminated to third parties, including government entities.