The federal government isn't doing enough to curb the profit-driven trade in personal data, which means citizens need to protect themselves, reports Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.
That's the message from a major privacy organization that is asking Americans to share their stories about privacy violations by write the Electronic Frontier Foundation at [email protected].
The organization said an investigation recently revealed that the real-time location of many cellphone users could be bought for $300.
"The reporting showed there is a vibrant market for location data generated by everyone's cell phones – information that can be incredibly detailed and provide a window into people's most sensitive and private activities," EFF said.
"The investigation also laid bare that cell phone carriers AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile, and the many third parties with access to the companies' location data, have little interest or incentive to stop."
Smartphone records can reveal travels to doctors, abortionists, churches, gun clubs or Communist Party rallies.
EFF said this "market of your personal information violates federal law and Federal Communication Commission rules that protect people’s location privacy."
"The market also violates FCC rules prohibiting disclosure of extremely sensitive location information derived in part from GPS data that is only to be disclosed when emergency responders need to find people during an emergency."
However, EFF complained, the FCC hasn't taken any public action and neither has Congress.
For the rest of this report, and more, please go to Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.