Do “Spying” Billboards Violate Privacy?

During a press conference on May 1, Sen. Charles Schumer of New York called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Clear Channel billboards, which can collect data from mobile phones. Sen. Schumer nicknamed them “spying billboards” and said they could be infringing on people’s privacy.

“A person’s cell phone should not become a James Bond-like personal tracking device for a corporation to gather information about consumers without their consent,” he said.