Google, Apple, Amazon Summoned To Testify On Consumer Data Protection Techniques

Six big companies including Google, Apple, Twitter, Amazon, AT&T, and Charter have been summoned by the US government to testify before the Senate about the consumer data and privacy mechanisms adopted by them.

The hearing called “Examining Safeguards for Consumer Data Privacy” is scheduled for September 26 where the representatives from the companies will answer questions on Commerce, Transportation, and Science.

According to US Senator John Thune, the companies have been called to “explain their approaches to privacy,” and they are planning to implement the GDPR privacy law that has been introduced in the European Union recently.

Apart from discussing the privacy safeguards currently deployed by the companies, the committee would also ask for the suggestions on what steps can be taken by the Congress to “promote clear privacy expectations without hurting innovation.”

Facebook is not included in the list of companies asked to attend the discussion. Earlier, this year Facebook appeared before the Congress for the notorious Cambridge Analytica Scandal, and another meeting was held for discussing the foreign political influence campaigns in the US via social media.

It is mandatory for the companies to attend the meeting. However, Twitter, Charter, and AT&T have confirmed that they would send their representatives to the meeting.

The US government is keen on understanding how the companies are handling users’ data and this is an excellent initiative from the government considering the recent accounts of the data breach.

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