Rep. Bono Mack concerned about iPhone location tracking

Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) is concerned about the revelation in recent reports that smart phones collect, store and sometimes transmit consumers' location data without permission. 

The Wall Street Journal has reported that iPhones and smartphones running Google's Android operating system frequently transmit location data back to Apple and Google, respectively. 

Meanwhile, the iPhone appears to store location data even when such features are turned off, the same publication reported. 

Bono Mack, the chair of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on manufacturing and trade, is considering the possibility of a hearing on the issue. She is holding off before scheduling a hearing in order to collaborate with Republican leaders on the committee, an aide said.

Her spokesman, Ken Johnson, told The Hill that Bono Mack "continues to be very concerned about how Apple’s location-based technology is being used and its impact on privacy. Most importantly, she believes there needs to be better transparency for consumers and, ultimately, some kind of regulatory certainty since both the [Federal Communications Commission] and [Federal Trade Commission] have jurisdiction over various aspects of privacy policy."

He said Bono Mack is looking for ways to streamline the regulatory structure.