Jay-Z's Samsung app may have got him the platinum plaque he was looking for, but it has also made a lot of users (and Killer Mike) uncomfortable with the data it collects. Now an advocacy group known as the Electronic Privacy Information Center, or EPIC is calling for an investigation on the app through the Federal Trade Commission.
EPIC released the following statement:
“Samsung failed to disclose material information about the privacy practices of the App, collected data unnecessary to the functioning of the Magna Carta App, deprived users of meaningful choice regarding the collection of their data, interfered with device functionality, and failed to implement reasonable data minimization procedures.”
According to the filing, the app had access to data about users' age, location, telephone numbers dialed, networks and other applications on their phones, as well as having access to post on their behalf on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
Since the request for investigation, Samsung has responded to the claims that its app is too invasive, arguing that the information obatined is not different from any other app of its kind.
"Any information obtained through the application download process was purely for customer verification purposes, app functionality purposes, and for marketing communications, but only if the customer requests to receive those marketing communications," said the company. "Samsung is in no way inappropriately using or selling any information obtained from users through the download process."
Experts find it hard to believe that the FTC will go through with the investigation. Jeremiah Reynolds, a lawyer specializing in intellectual property law felt that request will be disregarded. “People may believe it’s intrusive, but as long is it’s correctly described and as long as the people give consent, I don’t see what the issue is,” he explained.
[via]