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Congress urges Apple and Google to police foreign apps, app makers | AppleInsider

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;AppleInsider is supported by its audience and may earn commission as an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner on qualifying purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content.A congressional committee on Tuesday sent letters to Apple and Google urging both companies to closely monitor the collection and possible exploitation of user data by third-party apps affiliated with foreign entities. In addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the Congressional Committee on Oversight and Reform expressed concern over the security implications of storing user data on foreign soil. Foreign app makers, those with connections to foreign bodies and domestic companies that store information on offshore servers are named as potential threats to U.S. national security. Stephen F. Lynch, Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, noted steps taken by other countries to combat the specter of nefarious data operations include legislation that requires companies to store data on local servers and, in some cases, outright bans on foreign apps. Congress seeks similar protections, but is reluctant to adopt targeted policies that come at the cost of "inhibiting innovation, enabling censorship, and restricting the movement of ideas across a free and open internet." Instead, Lynch places the onus on Apple and Google, whose operating systems run on nearly all smartphones in the U.S. Specifically, the government asks the tech giants to exercise policing power through their respective app stores, a task that would entail monitoring where developers store user data. That information would be reported and passed on to customers via App Store listings. "As an industry leader, Apple can and must do more to ensure that smartphone applications made available to U.S. citizens on the AppStore [sic] protect stored data from unlawful foreign exploitation, and do not compromise U.S. national security," Lynch writes. "At a minimum, Apple should take steps to ensure that users are aware of the potential privacy and national security risks of sharing sensitive information with applications that store data in countries adversarial to the United States, or whose developers are subsidiaries of overseas companies." Lynch also asks Apple and Google to commit to app store policy that would require developers to divulge whether they are a corporate subsidiary of a foreign entity. This information, too, would be available to consumers under the plan. The chairman offered a similar suggestion in January, to which both Apple and Google responded that no statutory or regulatory limitations would prevent such action. In his letter to Apple on Tuesday, Lynch asks if the company has removed an app from the App Store for "suspicious or nefarious exploitation of user data by foreign governments." He further solicits suggestions on how to best protect against unwanted data collection by foreign entities. Engadget reported on the letters . The call to action comes amid revived concerns that third-party apps, especially those from China, Russia and the Middle East, are siphoning off potentially sensitive information from U.S. app users. Apple currently employs a wide array of privacy features across its operating systems. A new tool in the upcoming , for example, notifies users when a third-party app accesses the system clipboard. Though still in beta form, media coverage of the feature and its preliminary results prompted corrective action from apps like and .But just not through the App Store because that's only fair right?Yea right. Before Apple and Google self-police let's have Congress and the White House self police. Apple and Google are at least trying while Congress is doing everything it can to not police itself.Will the US be allowed to collect data from foreigners?Why stop at foreign abuse? Why not domestic abuse, or is that OK? Is that “just business”?Apple needs to do a better job of this, no other way around it. I think that the sheer volume of foreign apps has exceeded their traditionally strong review capabilities.Please enable JavaScript to comment&nbsp;In iOS 16 Apple introduced Haptic Feedback to the iPhone keyboard. Here's how to use it.Apple's iOS 16 makes the iPhone more customizable than ever. This is the ultimate guide on how to make the iPhone a more personal device.Although Apple brought back the option for a battery percentage icon in iOS 16, it has now confirmed that several iPhones will not be able to display it.Apple released the Apple Watch Series 8 alongside an updated Apple Watch SE on September 7. Here's how they compare with one another.Apple made considerable upgrades to the iPhone 14 Pro while making fewer than usual to the iPhone 14. Here's how the two similar-sized flagship iPhone models differ.Apple's iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have arrived. Here's how they stack up versus the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max.Apple's iPhone 14 is aimed at about the same market that the iPhone SE targets. Here's how it compares to the third-generation iPhone SE.Apple announced the second generation of AirPods Pro at its "Far Out" event on September 7. Here's how it compares to the first generation.&nbsp;LG's professional-grade UltraFine OLED Pro displays are heavily discounted this week, offering content professionals true 10-bit color and 99% Adobe RGB color gamut coverage in your choice of 27-inch or 32-inch sizes.Apple released the Apple Watch Series 8 alongside an updated Apple Watch SE on September 7. Here's how they compare with one another.High demand for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max led to Apple server crashes in China as consumers placed over two million preorders in 24 hours.In iOS 16 Apple introduced Haptic Feedback to the iPhone keyboard. Here's how to use it.On Tuesday, Amazon released a pair of Kindles with USB-C, a new high-resolution display, and twice the storage of older models.Apple's iOS 16 makes the iPhone more customizable than ever. This is the ultimate guide on how to make the iPhone a more personal device.Apple's 2022 MacBook Air sports the new M2 chip and an all-new chassis. And it's up to $200 off, with upgraded models starting at just $1,279.New regulatory filings show that the Apple Watch Ultra has a battery that is 76% larger than that in the Series 8, and more than double the size of the small Apple Watch SE.In iOS 16 Apple introduced Haptic Feedback to the iPhone keyboard. Here's how to use it.Apple's iOS 16 makes the iPhone more customizable than ever. This is the ultimate guide on how to make the iPhone a more personal device.Although Apple brought back the option for a battery percentage icon in iOS 16, it has now confirmed that several iPhones will not be able to display it.Apple's iOS 16 makes the iPhone more customizable than ever. This is the ultimate guide on how to make the iPhone a more personal device.It's been a rocky road to the iOS 16 launch. Here are the high-profile features that didn't debut in the initial release of Apple's operating system.Apple's annual update to its operating system brings new features and much-needed changes. Here are the stand-out features in iOS 16.Apple's "Far Out" event is on September 7. Beyond the new iPhone 14, here's what to expect from September's Apple event — and beyond.The second-generation Razer Kishi is here for iPhone users with a new design, better buttons, and a companion app. How does it stack up to the Backbone One?Less an overhaul and more refining what's already in place, iOS 16 is all about personalization on top of a retained solid foundation.With the SwitchEasy four-in-one MagPower multi-charger, you can power up all your gear with a single device — including your Apple Watch with an Apple-certified puck.The Benks Grand Pro Headphone Stand for AirPods Max is a welcome upgrade over the original. However, it introduces complexity where there was none before — while also ignoring an obvious problem.Keep tabs on the air quality of your home — including potentially deadly radon levels — with the Airthings View Plus.Apple didn't make a Magic Keyboard for iPad mini 6, and Lululook's Magnetic Keyboard perhaps acts as a testament to why.{{ summary }}{{{ reviewStars.html }}}

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;AppleInsider is supported by its audience and may earn commission as an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner on qualifying purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content.A congressional committee on Tuesday sent letters to Apple and Google urging both companies to closely monitor the collection and possible exploitation of user data by third-party apps affiliated with foreign entities. In addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the Congressional Committee on Oversight and Reform expressed concern over the security...

Congress urges Apple and Google to police foreign apps, app makers | AppleInsider

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