By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times
Saying consumer privacy is being invaded, state Attorney General Mark Brnovich has launched an inquiry into whether a major tech firm is violating the rights of Arizona residents by tracking their movements and activities through their cell phones – even after the users think they’ve told the company to stop.
In what appears to be the first such move in the country, Brnovich’s office has awarded a contract to a Washington, D.C. law firm to investigate how this company stores consumer location data through smartphone operating systems “even when consumers turn off ‘location services’ and take other steps to stop such tracking.” A copy of the contract was obtained by Capitol Media Services.
The part of the contract listing the firm to be investigated is redacted.
But the contract was signed just a week after the Associated Press reported that Google was tracking users’ location even after people turned off the “location history” option on their cell phones and tablets with the Google-created Android operating system.
Brnovich declined to confirm that the target is Google.
