Lawmakers raise concerns over foreign apps

A House Democrat pressed Google and Apple this week to provide information on whether they require mobile app developers to disclose foreign affiliations prior to the apps being offered to consumers, citing specific concerns around the apps TikTok and FaceApp.

Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), who serves as chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on National Security, sent letters to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook on Friday highlighting his concerns around foreign governments potentially having access to the personal data of Americans due to foreign-affiliated apps.

“U.S. laws permit mobile applications to collect massive amounts of personal information about their users as long as the users consent to the collection of that information as a condition of service,” Lynch wrote. “However, many smartphone owners are not aware that by consenting to an application’s service agreement, they are authorizing the application to access significant quantities of personal, and oftentimes sensitive, information.”

Lynch noted that “the extent to which this information is secured, either through encryption or alternative mechanisms, as well as the degree to which user data is shared, varies across applications.”

The lawmaker pointed to ongoing security and privacy concerns around popular video app TikTok and dating app Grindr, both of which are affiliated with Chinese ownership, as well as photo editing app FaceApp, which was developed by a St. Petersburg-based company.