Under President Barack Obama, internet and tech policy were mainstreamed and that’s not an accident, said current and former Obama administration officials during a panel at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A former official said Obama may never have been elected without the internet. The Monday discussion, streamed from Cambridge, Massachusetts, was part of MIT’s Internet Policy Research Initiative.

Mobile apps by Sega and iTriage allowed third parties to collect and use consumers’ precise location for third-party ads without notifying users or obtaining their consent, said the Advertising Self-Regulatory Council in a Thursday news release. The Sega game, Sonic Runners, also raised issues under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which says no personal information may be collected from children under 13 without obtaining parental consent. While the game used an age gate to meet COPPA, the gate didn’t function properly, ASRC said. Sega and iTriage cooperated with ASRC’s Online Interest-Based Advertising Accountability Program, pledging to comply with Digital Advertising Alliance standards in current and future apps. After Sega was notified about the problems, the video game company removed Sonic Runners from app stores and removed all third-party ads before offering it to the public again, while also pushing a mandatory update to all current users, ASRC said. Later this month, Sega will shut down Sonic Runners forever, said the company’s website. The Aetna-owned iTriage committed to stop using location data for ads and agreed to add real-time notice of data collection and use with links to an opt-out mechanism on its app and the iTriage and Aetna websites. They also pledged to be transparent and give users a choice to participate if they decide to allow third-party use of personal directory data or healthcare data for interest-based ads, ASRC said. “Today’s decisions are a win for both consumers and advertisers,” said Genie Barton, director of the Accountability Program.

The company behind the popular augmented reality game Pokemon Go said it essentially goofed when it asked for full permission for iOS users who registered through their Google accounts -- and has since fixed it. Some concerns have been raised, including a letter from Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., to Niantic CEO John Hanke over the company's data collection and use practices (see 1607120072). Unclear is whether there will be a government investigation as one privacy activist sought or if this issue was hyped as another observed mentioned. One expert said it's possible similar privacy concerns may emerge as this technology with geolocation is increasingly used.

The company behind the popular augmented reality game Pokemon Go said it essentially goofed when it asked for full permission for iOS users who registered through their Google accounts -- and has since fixed it. Some concerns have been raised, including a letter from Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., to Niantic CEO John Hanke over the company's data collection and use practices (see 1607120072). Unclear is whether there will be a government investigation as one privacy activist sought or if this issue was hyped as another observed mentioned. One expert said it's possible similar privacy concerns may emerge as this technology with geolocation is increasingly used.

Broadcasters may be opposed to a proposed rule change that would extend to broadcasters rules encouraging diversity in procurement by cable companies, lawyers for both industries told us Friday. The proposal is backed by the Multicultural Media Internet and Telecom Council, and was the focus of dueling news releases from the FCC and MMTC last week (see 1607130068). MMTC General Counsel David Honig said a proposal to extend the rule to broadcasters is part of the draft media ownership order.

The company behind the popular augmented reality game Pokemon Go said it essentially goofed when it asked for full permission for iOS users who registered through their Google accounts -- and has since fixed it. Some concerns have been raised, including a letter from Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., to Niantic CEO John Hanke over the company's data collection and use practices (see 1607120072). Unclear is whether there will be a government investigation as one privacy activist sought or if this issue was hyped as another observed mentioned. One expert said it's possible similar privacy concerns may emerge as this technology with geolocation is increasingly used.

Mobile apps by Sega and iTriage allowed third parties to collect and use consumers’ precise location for third-party ads without notifying users or obtaining their consent, said the Advertising Self-Regulatory Council in a Thursday news release. The Sega game, Sonic Runners, also raised issues under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which says no personal information may be collected from children under 13 without obtaining parental consent. While the game used an age gate to meet COPPA, the gate didn’t function properly, ASRC said. Sega and iTriage cooperated with ASRC’s Online Interest-Based Advertising Accountability Program, pledging to comply with Digital Advertising Alliance standards in current and future apps. After Sega was notified about the problems, the video game company removed Sonic Runners from app stores and removed all third-party ads before offering it to the public again, while also pushing a mandatory update to all current users, ASRC said. Later this month, Sega will shut down Sonic Runners forever, said the company’s website. The Aetna-owned iTriage committed to stop using location data for ads and agreed to add real-time notice of data collection and use with links to an opt-out mechanism on its app and the iTriage and Aetna websites. They also pledged to be transparent and give users a choice to participate if they decide to allow third-party use of personal directory data or healthcare data for interest-based ads, ASRC said. “Today’s decisions are a win for both consumers and advertisers,” said Genie Barton, director of the Accountability Program.

Mobile apps by Sega and iTriage allowed third parties to collect and use consumers’ precise location for third-party ads without notifying users or obtaining their consent, said the Advertising Self-Regulatory Council in a Thursday news release. The Sega game, Sonic Runners, also raised issues under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which says no personal information may be collected from children under 13 without obtaining parental consent. While the game used an age gate to meet COPPA, the gate didn’t function properly, ASRC said. Sega and iTriage cooperated with ASRC’s Online Interest-Based Advertising Accountability Program, pledging to comply with Digital Advertising Alliance standards in current and future apps. After Sega was notified about the problems, the video game company removed Sonic Runners from app stores and removed all third-party ads before offering it to the public again, while also pushing a mandatory update to all current users, ASRC said. Later this month, Sega will shut down Sonic Runners forever, said the company’s website. The Aetna-owned iTriage committed to stop using location data for ads and agreed to add real-time notice of data collection and use with links to an opt-out mechanism on its app and the iTriage and Aetna websites. They also pledged to be transparent and give users a choice to participate if they decide to allow third-party use of personal directory data or healthcare data for interest-based ads, ASRC said. “Today’s decisions are a win for both consumers and advertisers,” said Genie Barton, director of the Accountability Program.

Verizon dismissed copper abandonment concerns that the Communications Workers of America raised at the Maryland Public Service Commission. The PSC had asked the company to respond to CWA allegations that the telco deceived customers with copper service problems into making the IP transition under a policy known as “Fiber is the Only Fix” (see 1606160054). In a response Wednesday, Verizon said it’s neither deceiving customers nor neglecting its copper network.

Verizon dismissed copper abandonment concerns that the Communications Workers of America raised at the Maryland Public Service Commission. The PSC had asked the company to respond to CWA allegations that the telco deceived customers with copper service problems into making the IP transition under a policy known as “Fiber is the Only Fix” (see 1606160054). In a response Wednesday, Verizon said it’s neither deceiving customers nor neglecting its copper network.