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Letter to Edith Ramirez, Chair of the Federal Trade Commission - Investigate Use of Supercookies

Letter

Date: Feb. 6, 2015
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Technology and Communication Trade

Dear Chairwoman Ramirez:

We write this letter to you requesting that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigate Verizon's disclosures to wireless customers with regard to its mobile tracking technology, colloquially known as a "supercookie." Specifically, numerous press outlets reported that the online advertising company, Turn, used Verizon's network-based persistent identifier to regenerate browser cookies that consumers had deleted from their mobile devices. On January 29, we sent a letter to Verizon Chairman and CEO, Lowell C. McAdam, asking (among other things):

"What, if any information and disclosures does Verizon provide its wireless customers about how third-party companies use or can use Verizon's mobile tracker? How has the policy changed, if at all, given press accounts about Turn?"

In response, the company sent us its "Full Privacy Policy" but did not provide any other public disclosures or information provided to wireless customers. Verizon also did not answer whether its policy had changed upon discovery of Turn's practices.

We have attached the "Full Privacy Policy" for your review and ask that you further scrutinize all public and customer disclosures and information relevant to the use of its supercookie by third parties, including disclosures made before discovery of Turn's practices.

We appreciate the Commission's long and distinguished enforcement actions against companies that engage in deceptive practices and violate consumer privacy. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Bill Nelson

Richard Blumenthal

Edward J. Markey


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