Congressman releases draft bill on mobile apps privacy, security
Months after launching a website devoted to consumer feedback on privacy and security for mobile apps, Congressman Hank Johnson (Ga.-D) has released the discussion draft of the APPS Act, a bill to increase consumer privacy on mobile devices.
The Application Privacy, Protection and Security Act of 2013 (APPS Act) would require app developers to disclose their information-gathering practices, and allow users to request their stored information to be deleted. Johnson developed AppRights.us last summer, a web-based legislative project to foster a public conversation about how Congress can help ensure the privacy and security of mobile device users. The effort operates under the motto that "our apps should serve us—not spy on us," and provided the foundation for the bill.
“Because the majority of the feedback that we received on AppRights expressed strong support for user control, transparency, and security, we incorporated these principles into the bill,” Johnson said in a release. “Many of you also told us that simple mechanisms are important to protecting your privacy on mobile devices. After listening to these concerns, we have written provisions to address these concerns without threatening the functionality or integrity of the mobile apps that you love.”
Access the discussion draft of the bill on the AppRights website.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.