The Federal Communications Commission is seeking public comment on the use of location-based services in connection with a forthcoming staff report.  Comments are due to the FCC by July 8, 2011.

The agency also is teaming up with the Federal Trade Commission to host an educational forum on June 28, 2011, to help consumers understand the privacy implications of location-based services.  Representatives from mobile phone carriers, technology companies, consumer advocacy groups, and academia will discuss how these services work; their benefits and risks; industry best practices; and what parents should know about location tracking when their children use mobile devices.  

Location-based services have been the topic of a number of recent Congressional hearings.  Part of the focus at the most recent of these hearings was on children’s privacy.  Senator Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has sent letters to Apple, Google, and the Association for Competitive Technology with questions to help determine whether the applications running on their mobile platforms comply which the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).