Sen Franken Holding Hearing on Stalking Apps Bill

Sen Al Franken (D-MN), chairman of the Judiciary Privacy Subcommittee, will hold a hearing on his bill to end stalking apps. In March, Sen Franken reintroduced a location privacy bill, the Location Privacy Protection Act of 2014 that would outlaw so-called GPS "stalking apps" and give smart phone users control over very sensitive location information.

The bill also requires companies to get consumers permission -- an opt-in regime -- before collecting location data from smartphones, tablets and other devices. It would also require permission to share that information with third parties.

Witnesses at the hearing are Bea Hanson, Office on Violence Against Women, Department of Justice; Jessica Rich, director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission; Mark Goldstein, director, physical infrastructure issues, US Government Accountability Office; Sally Greenberg, executive director, National Consumers League; Detective Brian Hill, Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, Criminal Investigation Division, Andover, Minn.; and Cindy Southworth, VP, development and innovation, National Network to End Domestic Violence.