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For Immediate Release
May 28, 2010 |
Contact: Nicole Triplett
Jonathan Godfrey |
(Washington) — House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) today sent letters to Facebook, Inc. and Google, Inc. in connection with recent reports of separate privacy related issues involving the two companies.
"Companies such as Facebook and Google provide innovative services that enrich and expand the constantly evolving Internet," said Conyers. "I want to ensure that privacy concerns are as paramount as creativity to these and all Internet companies, and I look forward to hearing about ways they can ensure this is the case."
Concerns have arisen that the social networking site, Facebook, Inc., has provided third parties access to personal information about its users, even if the users thought they were limiting such access to their group of friends. Although Facebook has recently announced new privacy controls for its users, Conyers requested that the company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, explain with whom and under what circumstances such personal information was shared, and how the new policies will restrict access to such information.
The privacy concerns relating to Google, Inc. involve the company’s use of "Street View" cars which collected private content sent over open wireless networks while mapping the locations of those access points. Conyers expressed his desire that the relevant federal and state agencies have an opportunity to review the facts surrounding the capturing of the private information and asked Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, to retain the data and records relating to its collection until review by these agencies is complete. He also asked that Google, Inc. implement safeguards to prevent further dissemination of the information.
The House Judiciary Committee is considering hearings and legislation related to electronic communications, online security, and other privacy concerns.
The full text of the letters are linked below:
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