Tag: Location Privacy

(Dec 13, 2018) Earlier this year, French data protection authority, the CNIL, declared that French ad-tech startup, Vectaury, violated the EU General Data Protection Regulation by not obtaining valid consent for its collection and use of geolocation data from partner apps and bid requests for targeted advertising purposes. "Most notably, the CNIL concluded that Vectaury’s consent management platform, based on IAB Europe’s Transparency & Consent Framework to a certain degree, did not provide sufficiently tr... Read More

(Dec 13, 2018) In its October 30 decision, French supervisory authority, the CNIL, declared that French ad tech startup, Vectaury, violated the EU General Data Protection Regulation by not obtaining valid consent for its collection and use of geolocation data from partner apps and bid requests for targeted advertising purposes. Most notably, the CNIL concluded that Vectaury’s consent management platform, based on IAB Europe’s Transparency & Consent Framework to a certain degree, did not provide sufficien... Read More

(Dec 11, 2018) The Online Interest-Based Advertising Accountability Program released the results of its investigations into advertising technology companies Kiip and VRTCAL. The two companies were found to have been in violation of the Digital Advertising Alliance’s self-regulatory principles. VRTCAL clarified its disclosures of its interest-based advertising businesses practices and added details within its privacy policy to help users opt out of IBA on smartphones after the Accountability Program tested its ... Read More

(Dec 11, 2018) A study published in “IEEE Transactions on Big Data” revealed how researchers were able to identify individuals from anonymized data sets produced within a city, Fast Company reports. The researchers took two data sets from Singapore that only had the time and place of each data point. The group from the MIT Senseable City Lab used an algorithm to match the users whose data was seen in both sets. Over the course of 11 weeks, the algorithm was able to match data subjects with a 95 percent accurac... Read More

(Dec 10, 2018) The New York Times reports on the growing number of apps that collect smartphone users’ location information in order to sell it to third parties. About 75 companies obtain precise location data from smartphone apps when users enact location services. Some of those companies claim to track up to 200 million users in the U.S. The organizations turn around and sell the location information to advertisers, retailers and hedge funds that want to gain insights into consumers’ behavior. The Times exam... Read More

(Dec 10, 2018) Google CEO Sundar Pichai will testify at a hearing held by the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary Dec. 11, Axios reports. Pichai is expected to receive similar questions to those Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg answered when he testified on Capitol Hill earlier this year. The tech company has faced allegations it stores location data even after users opt out of tracking. “Americans put their trust in big tech companies to honor freedom of speech and champion open dialogue, and it is Congress’ re... Read More

(Dec 4, 2018) The Dutch data protection authority, the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, has published guidance on when entities can track individuals through Wi-Fi. The DPA states Wi-Fi tracking can only be used in certain circumstances. Companies can track individuals when they have consent and legitimate interest, while municipalities can only do so in “precisely defined areas where it is really needed.” The DPA states Wi-Fi tracking should be used in circumstances where personal data processing is beneficial, ... Read More

(Dec 3, 2018) The Chinese government has used local laws to push alternative energy car manufacturers within the country to send the location data of their users, The Associated Press reports. More than 200 manufacturers deliver location information and other data points to government monitoring centers, often without the users’ permission. The Chinese government said it uses the data to improve public safety and industrial developments, while privacy advocates believe it is for different purposes. “The gover... Read More

(Nov 29, 2018) In a complaint filed with the Dutch Data Protection Authority, consumers’ association Consumentenbond accused Google of tricking Android users into granting permission for the company to use their location data, the NL Times reports. The complaint was filed alongside consumers’ associations in Norway, Sweden and the Czech Republic, as well as the European umbrella organization BEUC, and argued the majority of users were unaware that a function used to track location history was activated. Google... Read More

(Nov 27, 2018) A group of consumer organizations from seven countries plans to file complaints against Google with their data protection authorities, BBC News reports. The groups allege Google has violated the EU General Data Protection Regulation through its use of “deceptive practices” to make users turn on tracking systems in order to gather location data. The seven organizations state consent cannot be freely given in these instances. “These unfair practices leave consumers in the dark about the use of the... Read More