Conyers Voices Concerns About Facebook, Google
May 28, 2010
| 6:17 PM
Add House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., to the list of lawmakers concerned with Google's revelations that it mistakenly collected information from private unsecured Wi-Fi networks and with Facebook's privacy policies.
Conyers wrote Google CEO Eric Schmidt Friday about the Wi-Fi controversy. Google revealed earlier this month that vehicles that collected images for Google's Street View service also mistakenly collected information from unsecured home Wi-Fi networks.
Citing the need for those federal agencies examining the issue to have access to all the relevant data, Conyers told Schmidt to retain any of the data Google has collected from the Wi-Fi networks and records related to such information. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz has said his agency is taking a close look at the controversy.
Noting concerns that Facebook may be sharing data with third parties, Conyers also wrote to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and asked him to provide information about whom the firm has shared Facebook user information with and whether new privacy changes announced earlier this week will restrict access to such information. Facebook has staunchly denied that it has shared user information with third parties without user consent.
"Companies such as Facebook and Google provide innovative services that enrich and expand the constantly evolving Internet," Conyers said in a news release. "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."
Conyers said his committee is considering holding hearings and crafting legislation related to communications privacy issues and online security.
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