The FTC is continuing to crack down on companies that are intentionally misleading their users about privacy issues. According to the FTC, the "Brightest Flashlight" app shared users' location, and device ID without their users' consent. Goldenshores Technologies, LLC was behind the app and this enforcement action appears to be the first involving geo-location data obtained from mobile devices.
The FTC put the mobile ecosystem on notice almost 2 years ago about their privacy concerns. For example, in February 2012, the FTC issued a mobile privacy report that was focused on children and did a follow up titled Mobile Apps For Kids Report
in December 2012. These investigations demonstrated that some industry players
needed to do a better of protecting their users' privacy. The FTC released another report in February 2013 that reinforced the importance of these issues. In July 2013, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) published a draft of self-regulatory guidelines for privacy notices for
mobile app and the Digital Advertising Alliance released a best practices guide for its members.
The FTC's announcement of this action is very timely considering that the lead article on the front page of today's Washington Post discussed how the NSA tracks cellphone locations worldwide. A major problem with Goldenshores' app was that it did not disclose that user information would be "sent to third parties, such as advertising networks." Another problem with the app was that before a consumer could choose to accept its terms and conditions, it began collecting and sending the potential users' personal information to third
parties.
To view the settlement here is the link. Public comments will be accepted through January 6, 2014. To contact the FTC regarding this matter here is the link. Mobile app creators must be transparent and honest with their customers about the information that they collect and re-purpose. I make a personal choice to avoid many apps due to the privacy issues inherent and it would not surprise me if more mobile app companies incorporate privacy into the design of their products in the near future.
With access comes responsibility. The more information a mobile app maker collects about their users the more information that the NSA and/or other government entities may be able to collect and utilize. Apps and mobile ecosystems that are collecting a lot of information about their users are not only harming their users' personal privacy but also making it easy for the NSA to spy on their users.
Copyright 2013 by the Law Office of Bradley S. Shear, LLC All rights reserved.
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