The US Federal Trade Commission sued Kochava Inc., a data broker it alleges sells consumers’ mobile geolocation data that could be used to track visits to abortion providers, addiction recovery centers or other sensitive locations.
(Bloomberg) — The US Federal Trade Commission sued Kochava Inc., a data broker it alleges sells consumers’ mobile geolocation data that could be used to track visits to abortion providers, addiction recovery centers or other sensitive locations.
The agency voted 4-1 to file the complaint in Idaho federal court, with Republican Commissioner Noah Phillips dissenting.
The FTC alleges that Kochava’s data put consumers at risk, letting buyers purchase time-stamped location data with few restrictions on its usage. Kochava didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kochava describes itself as an Idaho-based mobile analytics company. The company preemptively sued the FTC this month, alleging the agency misunderstands its business and that consumers can opt-out of geolocation data collection.
The case is Federal Trade Commission v Kochava, 22-cv-00377, US District Court for the District of Idaho.
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