January 22, 2024 at 03:03AM
The U.S. FTC has banned InMarket Media from selling precise location data without consumer consent and ordered it to destroy collected data subject to user approval. InMarket and Outlogic faced bans for allegations of improper location data use. InMarket allegedly harvested location data from various apps, while a study revealed how numerous companies share individual Facebook user data.
Based on the meeting notes, here are the key takeaways:
– The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking action against data brokers, with specific measures focusing on InMarket Media’s practices.
– The FTC has prohibited InMarket from selling or licensing precise location data without consumer consent, and has ordered the company to destroy previously collected data subject to user assent.
– InMarket is the second data aggregator in recent weeks to face bans from the FTC, following accusations similar to those faced by Outlogic (formerly X-Mode Social).
– InMarket’s practices involve gathering location data from its own apps and third-party applications, leading to the creation of nearly 2,000 consumer segments for targeted advertising.
– InMarket’s data collection practices have faced scrutiny due to concerns about user consent and the company’s five-year data retention policy, which the FTC considers unnecessary.
– To address these concerns, the FTC has imposed requirements for InMarket to establish a sensitive location data program to prevent the use, sale, or sharing of products targeting consumers based on sensitive location data.
Additionally, the meeting notes highlighted a joint study published by Consumer Reports and The Markup, revealing that Meta-owned Facebook receives data on individual users from thousands of companies, with some users’ information coming from tens of thousands of companies. This information underscores the widespread data-sharing practices in the industry and the potential for microtargeted advertising.
Please let me know if there are any specific areas of focus or if further details are needed on any of the points mentioned.