Attorney General Concerned Mobile Devices Disclose Too Much

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen sent missives to leading smartphone providers Apple and Google earlier this week, saying he was concerned with what those companies may be doing with consumer data.

"I am particularly troubled by the apparent lack of clear and conspicuous disclosures regarding these practices and failure to request authorization from users," Jepsen reportedly said in the letters.

The practices Jespen was referring to consist of mobile phone companies collecting data about users' locations and storing it in hidden files on the devices for later transmission to the host companies. Jepsen's requests asked the companies to say whether or not they had engaged in such practices and, if so, to what end.

In an article about the same topic, the Wall Street Journal reported that this location-gathering movement could help the two companies grab more of a $2.9 billion market. The Journal also reported that, in some cases, the companies were sharing the collected data "with third-party companies without the user's consent or knowledge."

The Huffington Post, meanwhile, offered a few tips for users on how to keep their smartphones from transmitting the personal data. And Forbes said Verizon was taking steps to make its consumers aware of any products that may engage in such tasks at the point of purchase.

"Consumers who have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their day to day lives are finding their privacy increasingly under attack," Jepsen added in a release. "While they can voluntarily give up their privacy, it should not be taken from them without their permission."