WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) – The Federal Trade Commission
has issued a wide-reaching set of new guidelines for makers of
mobile platforms and developers of applications for mobile
telephones and tablets to safeguard users’ privacy.
The non-binding guidelines, published in a report on Friday,
include the recommendation that companies should obtain
consumers’ consent before including location tracking in
software and applications, consider developing icons to depict
the transmission of user data, and consider offering a “Do Not
Track” mechanism for smartphone users.
The report also recommended that application developers have
an easily accessible privacy policy, obtain consent before
collecting and sharing sensitive information and consider
participating in self-regulatory programs.
The FTC has been heightening its scrutiny of mobile devices,
which are now the primary source of communication and Internet
access for many users.
Among the companies who could be affected by the report are
firms like Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and
Microsoft Corp.
