Pedestrians with phones may be a common sight the world over but Japan's Yamato city has submitted a bill to authorities to prevent people from using mobile phones while walking.

City officials say the move has been made after the number of accidents had increased due to the use of smartphones.

The ban may come into effect next month with officials insisting that they will set up an awareness campaign to warn citizens about the dangers of being on call while walking the streets.

The bill if passed will be the first in Japan.

According to a US survey, 1.6 million car crashes occur per year in the country with 25 per cent accidents being caused due to texting and driving.

The World Health Organisation(WHO) had estimated that mobile use makes accidents four times more likely. In Australia, authorities have estimated that 9 per cent of fatal car crashes were caused by distracted drivers which including mobile phone users.

According to the Harvard center for risk analysis, 330,000 injuries per year caused due to texting while driving cars.

Pedestrians with phones may be a common sight the world over but Japan's Yamato city has submitted a bill to authorities to prevent people from using mobile phones while walking.

Pedestrians with phones may be a common sight the world over but Japan's Yamato city has submitted a bill to authorities to prevent people from using mobile phones while walking. City officials say the move has been made after the number of accidents had increased due to the use of smartphones. The ban may come into effect next month with officials insisting that they will set up an awareness campaign to warn citizens about the dangers of being on call while walking the streets. The bill if passed will be the first in Japan. According to a US survey, 1.6 million car crashes occur per year in the country with 25 per cent accidents being caused due to texting and driving. The World Health Organisation(WHO) had estimated that mobile use makes accidents four times more likely. In Australia, authorities have estimated that 9 per cent of fatal car crashes were caused by distracted drivers which including mobile phone users. According to the Harvard center for risk analysis, 330,000 injuries per year caused due to texting while driving cars.

Japanese city aims to ban mobile phone for pedestrians

A news report Friday said many smartphone apps were sending highly personal information such as menstrual cycles and body weight to Facebook, without notifying users.

The Wall Street Journal report based on its own in-house tests showed that intimate data could be shared with Facebook using a tool designed to help target ads, even if app users were not members of the leading social network.

Information collected by apps included personal details regarding body weight, pregnancy status, ovulation, and home shopping, according to the Journal.

Facebook said data sharing across apps on iPhones or Android-powered devices is standard industry practice when it comes to how mobile advertising works.

Facebook spokeswoman Nissa Anklesaria said in response to an AFP inquiry: "We require app developers to be clear with their users about the information they are sharing with us, and we prohibit app developers from sending us sensitive data."

She added, "We also take steps to detect and remove data that should not be shared with us."

The Journal reported that its testing showed at least 11 popular apps that had, overall, been downloaded tens of millions of times share user information, often without disclosing the practice prominently or directly.

According to the report, California-based Facebook said that some of the shared data pinpointed appeared to violate business terms that direct app makers not to send the social network health, financial "or other categories of sensitive information."

App developers identified in the report were to get word from Facebook to stop sending data deemed sensitive, according to the Journal.

A news report Friday said many smartphone apps were sending highly personal information such as menstrual cycles and body weight to Facebook, without notifying users.

A news report Friday said many smartphone apps were sending highly personal information such as menstrual cycles and body weight to Facebook, without notifying users. The Wall Street Journal report based on its own in-house tests showed that intimate data could be shared with Facebook using a tool designed to help target ads, even if app users were not members of the leading social network. Information collected by apps included personal details regarding body weight, pregnancy status, ovulation, and home shopping, according to the Journal. Facebook said data sharing across apps on iPhones or Android-powered devices is standard industry practice when it comes to how mobile advertising works. Facebook spokeswoman Nissa Anklesaria said in response to an AFP inquiry: "We require app developers to be clear with their users about the information they are sharing with us, and we prohibit app developers from sending us sensitive data." She added, "We also take steps to detect and remove data that should not be shared with us." The Journal reported that its testing showed at least 11 popular apps that had, overall, been downloaded tens of millions of times share user information, often without disclosing the practice prominently or directly. According to the report, California-based Facebook said that some of the shared data pinpointed appeared to violate business terms that direct app makers not to send the social network health, financial "or other categories of sensitive information." App developers identified in the report were to get word from Facebook to stop sending data deemed sensitive, according to the Journal.

Smartphone apps send intimate user data to Facebook: Report

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