The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced a proposed consent order with Mobilewalla Inc., a data broker accused of unlawfully collecting and selling consumers' sensitive location information without obtaining proper consent. The company allegedly violated multiple parts of the FTC Act by collecting and retaining precise location data and targeting consumers based on characteristics revealed by their location history, such as religion or medical conditions. The proposed order aims to restrict Mobilewalla's future data practices, mandating they verify consumer consent and avoid retaining sensitive data indefinitely. The public is invited to comment on this order until January 6, 2025, before the FTC makes a final decision.
Simple Explanation
The FTC is telling Mobilewalla that they can't secretly collect and sell people's private location details anymore. People can share what they think about this rule until January 6, 2025.