Federal Grand Jury Investigating Apps
Federal prosecutors in New Jersey are investigating whether smartphone applications illegally obtained or transmitted information about their users without proper disclosures, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The investigation is examining whether the app makers fully described to users the types of data they collected and why they needed the information, such as a unique identifier for the phone or its location, the person familiar with the matter said. Collecting information about a user without proper notice or authorization could violate a federal computer-fraud law.
On Monday, online music service Pandora Media Inc. said it had received a subpoena related to a federal grand-jury investigation of information-sharing practices by smartphone applications.
