FTC Intensifies Privacy Battle

Likely for the next couple of years, the FTC will intensify its battle on the privacy front. If the White House changes from blue to red, this will likely change, but for the moment, unless Congress acts, the FTC is going to be the lead player.

An Idaho based company that sells user data collected from all sorts of sources is suing the FTC saying that they are not doing anything illegal.

The company, Kochava, says the the FTC’s claim that their collection of longitude and latitude, IP address and mobile advertising ID violates the FTC Act.

The FTC claims that Kochava’s collection of precise location data – like your therapist’s office or an abortion clinic along with the advertising ID makes it possible to identify someone. They so not so much. That is actually pretty easy to do if you figure they also have your home location and work location along with the other stuff.

Kochava says the FTC is wrong.

Why, just on August 10th, they announced a new capability for DEVELOPERS to shut off the collection of sensitive health location data. Note that they don’t allow CONSUMERS to shut off that data collection.

Why not? Because if Apple’s experiment is any indication, 95%+ of consumers would disable tracking. What incentive does a developer, who’s entire revenue stream comes from selling your data, have to give you an easy to use option to stop data collection. And, if you figure that the average consumer has maybe 100-200 apps on their phone, they would need to get that many developers to agree to give up all of their money. That is not likely to happen.

Also notice that this new “feature” came out AFTER the FTC announced they were planning on suing Kochava.

This is only one of many disputes.

Expect more to come, especially if Congress does not act, which I do not anticipate that it will. Privacy versus money. It will be interesting to see which one wins.

Credit: Gov Info Security

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