Rep. Hank Johnson applauds Google’s move to protect consumers’ privacy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In February, 2013, Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) sent a letter to Larry Page, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Google, questioning Google’s data sharing practices for apps purchased through Google Play. Google was routinely sending personal information such as the name, e-mail address and home address of Google Play users to apps developers. Google is now considering ending this practice.

“It has been reported that Google may no longer include personal data that is unnecessary to a transaction. This is a step in the right direction. I encourage Google to continue down this road, and applaud Google for experimenting with ways to enhance consumers’ privacy. Transparency is the cornerstone of trust in the mobile ecosystem, which is why I continue to urge Google to provide notice at the time and in the context of consumers’ purchases. I look forward to working with Google and others in the technology sector to address the public’s privacy concerns as they continue to arise in the emerging digital marketplace.”

Through AppRights – a bottom-up mobile privacy initiative – Congressman Johnson has been on the cutting edge of privacy rights in the digital age. He has heard from many consumers who want greater transparency, control, and security on their mobile devices. Rep. Johnson plans to introduce AppRights legislation soon.