IN BRIEF: Two US senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Richard
Blumenthal (D-CT) have sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requesting
the agency to investigate smart TV makers amid fears and evidence that
companies might be using devices to collect data and track users without their
knowledge.
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The
open letter comes while smart TV advancements have "ushered in a new era
of innovation and interactivity," they must not come at the expense of
consumer privacy. "Televisions have entered a new era, but that does not
mean that users' sensitive information no longer deserves protection," the
senators said. "The content consumers watch is private, and it should not
be assumed that customers want companies to track and use information on their
viewing habits."
They
said that, any company that collects this type of information should have to
"comprehensively and concisely detail who will have access to that data,
how that data will be used and what steps will be taken to protect that
information," and added that consumers should have the opportunity to
consent to that sort of data collection.
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| Senators Edward Markey and Richard Blumenthal |
TO JUSTIFY THEIR ALARMING LETTER.
The
two senators cited a recent New York Times report about Samba TV, a vendor of
smart TVs. According to the report, while
