Explain data collection practices: US lawmakers to Apple, Google
San Francisco, July 10 : Lawmakers in the US have sent letters to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Larry Page, CEO of Google's parent company Alphabet, demanding information on how they collect and use personal information of users.
Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee of the US House of Representatives sent the letters on Monday.
With recent media reports raising concerns about misuse of user data, the lawmakers sought information from the two companies on third-party access to consumer data, collection and use of audio recording data as well as location information via iPhone and Android devices.
In their letter to Alphabet's Page, the lawmakers pointed to reports that suggested that Google permitted third parties to access the contents of users' emails, including message text, email signatures, and receipt data, to personalise content despite an announcement in June 2017 in which the search giant said it would stop scanning Gmail for advertisements.
The Wall Street Journal last week reported that despite assuring users to "remain confident that Google will keep privacy and security paramount", it still allowed some third-party organisations to scan through Gmail accounts.
"In the context of free services offered by third parties, these practices raise questions about how representations made by a platform are carried out in practice," the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Alphabet's Page.
In their letter to Apple's CEO, the lawmakers asked if people's iPhones collect audio recordings without their consent and if Apple could "control or limit the data collected by third-party apps available on the App store", Fortune.com reported.
The House representatives asked is Apple collects and stores user information "through a different data-collection capability" even if people disable location-tracking services on their iPhones, it added.
The House representatives asked Alphabet's Page and Apple's Cook to respond to the questions by July 23.
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Two FIRs lodged against Mithun Chakraborty for 'provocative' speech
Kolkata, Nov 6: Two FIRs have been lodged against actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty for allegedly making provocative statements during a BJP event in Salt Lake area near Kolkata last month, police said on Wednesday.
The complaints pertain to Chakraborty's speech on October 27 at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake, during a BJP programme attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kolkata to launch the party's West Bengal membership drive.
The first FIR was filed at the Bidhannagar South police station based on a complaint by an individual, while the second was lodged at Bowbazar police station.
"We have started an investigation into the case," a senior officer of Bidhannagar police said.
Shah was also present at the programme, which was organised to kick off the West Bengal leg of the BJP's membership drive. Shah had also felicitated Chakraborty for being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year.
Although Chakraborty was unavailable for comment, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar described the FIRs a result of "vendetta politics.".
Majumdar alleged that the TMC government "has once again used the police to unfairly target well-known actor and senior BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty".
He accused the chief minister of employing such tactics "to serve political interests" and claimed that the state government's actions were part of an ongoing attempt to discredit political opponents.
"There is nothing provocative in his speech. These are nothing but attempts to intimidate him by using police as a political tool," he said.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed the BJP's allegations as baseless.
"The allegations of political vendetta are baseless. He shouldn't have made such provocative remarks. The law will take its own course," he said.
Chakraborty, who received India's highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, earlier this year, had asserted on October 27 that the 'masnad' (throne) of West Bengal would belong to the BJP after the 2026 assembly elections, promising to do whatever it takes to achieve the goal.
While speaking at the programme, Chakraborty, a BJP leader, said, "In 2026, the 'masnad' will be ours, and we will do everything to achieve the goal."
In an apparent reference to TMC MLA Humayun Kabir's communal remarks aimed at BJP workers during the Lok Sabha elections, Chakraborty had allegedly made provocative remarks.
Chakraborty cautioned that no one should attempt to intimidate saffron party voters into abstaining from voting in the next assembly elections.
He called upon the booth-level workers of his party to resist any such attempts.
