The Senate Judiciary Committee agreed to delay Thursday’s markup of...

Department of Justice, said Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., would require companies to obtain express consent from consumers before collecting or sharing their location data with third parties, and inform consumers about how they can revoke their consent to be tracked. The bill prohibits the unauthorized disclosure of geolocation information used for interstate stalking or violence. The bill also contains a provision that would require the government to study how geolocation tracking is used to commit violence against women. Franken said the bill is needed to close the loopholes from outdated laws that permit companies to collect and disclose information about Americans without their knowledge. But Grassley said the committee needs to examine the bill’s enforcement mechanism to “make sure we don’t create unnecessary problems for litigants or the courts.” He also said the bill must examine the impact that the legislation’s consent provisions will have on current and future technology. A committee spokesman could not say exactly when the committee will mark up the bill next week. The Software and Information Industry Alliance urged in a blog post (http://xrl.us/bn46x9) that lawmakers further delay markup while industry stakeholders develop a self-regulatory mobile privacy framework.