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Sean D. Reyes
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Attorney General Reyes Urges Google and Apple to Ensure Contact Tracing Apps Protect Consumer Privacy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2020

“I WILL CONTINUE TO AGGRESSIVELY ADVOCATE FOR THE PRIVACY AND PROTECTION OF UTAHN’S PERSONAL DATA.” —ATTORNEY GENERAL REYES
Attorney General Reyes Joins Bipartisan Coalition to Demand Apple and Google Ensure Consumer Privacy

SALT LAKE CITY – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes is demanding Google and Apple ensure all contact tracing and exposure notification apps related to COVID-19 adequately protect consumers’ personal information.
 
Specifically, Attorney General Reyes and a bi-partisan coalition of 39 state attorneys general are urging Google and Apple to guarantee that such apps, when available to consumers, are affiliated with a public health authority and removed from Google Play and the App Store once no longer needed by public health authorities.
 
Today, in a letter sent to the Chief Executive Officers of Apple and Google, the attorneys general acknowledge that while digital contact tracing and exposure notification tools are valuable in understanding the spread of COVID-19 and assisting public health authorities, these same technologies pose a risk to consumers’ privacy.
 
“We understand the value of using technology to limit exposure to COVID-19, but the personal information of Utahns must be safeguarded in the process. I believe we can find that balance. But, until we do, I will continue to aggressively advocate for the privacy and protection of Utahn’s personal data,” said Attorney General Reyes.
 
The coalition expressed concern regarding contact tracing and exposure notification apps available to consumers in Google Play and the App Store, particularly the “free” apps that utilize GPS tracking, offer in-app purchases, and are not affiliated with any public health authority or legitimate research institution.
   
To protect consumers without interfering with public health efforts to monitor and address the spread of COVID-19, the letters ask Google and Apple to:

  1. Verify that every app labeled or marketed as related to contact tracing, COVID-19 contact tracing, or coronavirus contact tracing or exposure notification is affiliated with a municipal, county, state or federal public health authority, or a hospital or university in the U.S. that is working with such public health authorities;
  2. Remove any app that cannot be verified as affiliated with one of the entities identified above; and
  3. Pledge to remove all COVID-19 / coronavirus related exposure notification and contact tracing apps, including those that utilize the new exposure notification application program interfaces (APIs) developed by Google and Apple, from Google Play and the App Store once the COVID-19 national emergency ends. In addition, the attorneys general asked Google and Apple to provide written confirmation to their offices once the apps have been removed or an explanation why removal of a particular app or apps would impair the public health authorities affiliated with each app.


As of today, Utah has 15,344 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 8,552 patients have recovered and there have been 149 deaths.
 
Read a copy of the letter to Google and Apple here.
 
The attorneys general in Nebraska and Oregon sponsored the letter and are joined by attorneys general in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.
 

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Utah Attorney General's Office

Utah E-book Purchasers to Receive Nearly $4 million from Apple Price-Fixing Victory

SALT LAKE CITY June 20, 2016 – Utah residents who purchased electronic books (E-books) should begin receiving account credits or checks on Tuesday, June 21 as a result of the successful prosecution of a price-fixing case against Apple, Inc. Apple paid $400 million in nationwide consumer compensation after the United States Supreme Court denied Apple’s request to review the decision of a lower court finding Apple had violated the antitrust laws.

“Utah consumers deserve a refund of every possible dollar when they have been treated unfairly by businesses,” said Attorney General Sean Reyes. “After a long legal battle, and due to the very careful and committed work of our anti-trust team, this office has recovered nearly $4 million which will be returned back to Utah consumers. I am pleased with the outcome of the case and the excellent work of our lawyers and legal professionals. Settlements like these represent some of the tens of millions of taxpayer dollars both saved and recovered annually by the AG’s Office.”

A group of 33 states, including Utah, investigated and sued Apple for its participation in the conspiracy to artificially inflate E-book prices. In June 2013, the states, along with the United States Department of Justice, tried the case against Apple. In July 2013, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that Apple conspired with five major U.S. Publishers – Penguin Group (USA), Inc. (now Penguin Random House); Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC d/b/a Macmillan; Hachette Book Group Inc.; HarperCollins Publishers LLC; and Simon & Schuster Inc. – to raise the retail prices of E-books. In June 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed that ruling. And in March 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Apple’s request to review the Second Circuit’s decision. Under a contingent settlement agreement between the states and Apple, the Supreme Court’s decision triggered Apple’s obligation to pay the maximum consumer compensation amount of $400 million.

All five of the conspiring publishers settled prior to trial, paying a total of approximately $166 million in nationwide consumer compensation. Most of that money was distributed to consumers in March 2014. The distribution that will begin June 21 consists of the $400 million Apple payment and additional funds remaining from the publisher settlements. The $566 million total nationwide compensation to consumers is more than twice the estimated amount of actual damages. Utah consumers account for approximately .93% percent of E-book purchases, and thus are expected to receive approximately $ $3,915,300 from this distribution, in addition to amounts already paid to Utahns. The amounts received by E-book purchasers will be based on the number of E-books purchased between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012. For each E-book that was a New York Times bestseller, consumers will receive $6.93. For all other E-books, the payment will be $1.57.

Distribution process for Utah E-book purchasers

Distribution of the consumer payments should begin on June 21. Customers who purchased E-books through Sony or Google will receive checks in the mail. Customers who purchased E-books through Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, or Kobo will automatically receive credits in their accounts (unless they previously requested to receive checks). Customers receiving account credits should expect to receive an email between June 21 and June 24, indicating that the credits are available in their accounts. Credits can be used to purchase anything sold by these retailers, not only E-books.

The Settlement Administrator has set up a website and toll-free phone number for consumers with questions about this distribution. Please visit www.ebooklawsuits.com or call (866) 686-9333 for more information.

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