Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (9th District of Illinois)
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Kathy Castor (FL-14), and Doris Matsui (CA-07) demanded answers from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding the company’s covert use of an Android loophole to track users across the internet, regardless of their explicit privacy choices. The letter comes ahead of this Thursday’s markup in the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee of the Energy & Commerce Committee and underscores the urgent need for Congress to rein in Big Tech’s repeated abuses of Americans’ privacy.
The lawmakers are highlighting newly published research showing that Meta exploited developer-only Android features to dismantle core privacy protections and secretly monitor users’ web activity. They warn that Meta continued this practice even when users took every available step to protect their personal information online.
“Unbeknownst to Meta’s users, Meta’s new tracking method followed them across the web even if the user tried to keep their browsing private,” wrote the lawmakers. “Even users who had chosen every available safeguard—opting out of cookies, using a VPN, or enabling incognito mode—were still tracked against their will, as Meta continued to listen through these hidden channels.”
The Members stress that this conduct reflects a sustained pattern of Meta disregarding user privacy.
“This persistent pattern demonstrates that the Meta’s covert tracking we address today is part of a broader corporate strategy, not an isolated lapse,” concluded the lawmakers.
The Members are seeking detailed answers about how Meta used this hidden tracking method, what data was collected, and whether the company will permanently delete all information obtained through the exploit.
###