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Lawmakers Vow Action on Google

The plan to step up their oversight of the data collection practices of the tech giant.

In this Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, photo a mobile phone displays a user's travels in New York. Google records your movements even when you explicitly tell it not to. An Associated Press investigation shows that using Google services on Android devices and iPhones allows the search giant to record your whereabouts as you go about your day.
In this Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, photo a mobile phone displays a user's travels in New York. Google records your movements even when you explicitly tell it not to. An Associated Press investigation shows that using Google services on Android devices and iPhones allows the search giant to record your whereabouts as you go about your day.
AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Lawmakers are vowing to step up their oversight of the data collection practices of giant technology companies after an Associated Press investigation found Google continues to collect user location data even if they've used a privacy setting that claims to prevent it.

U.S. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia said in a statement to the AP that if a Google user disables the setting, called Location History, it is "perfectly reasonable for that person to expect that apps will not continue tracking their location."

Warner said the fact it does not is a "frustratingly common" experience for technology users. He's calling for policies that give users more control over their data and levy stiff penalties on firms that violate user trust and expectations.

Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey said Congress needs to take action to protect consumers and is calling for public hearings.

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