Friday, 6 December 2013

Millions of Android users 'deceived' by flashlight app that shares location with advertisers

Millions of Android users 'deceived' by flashlight app that shares location with advertisers
Dec 6th 2013, 13:50, by Tom Warren

An Android developer has agreed to settle charges with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over a free flashlight app that has been "deceiving" users. Brightest Flashlight Free, available in theGoogle Play store, has been downloaded over 50 million times, but a complaint from the FTC reveals that the seemingly innocent app transmits “precise location” data to third-party advertisers alongside a unique device identifier. The FTC says an option to prevent the location-sharing “deceived consumers,” as the data was automatically shared before users could disable it.
“When consumers are given a real, informed choice, they can decide for themselves whether the benefit of a service is worth the information they must share to use...
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