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Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Secret Consumer Tracking via Cellphones

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Amazon is facing a lawsuit accusing the company of secretly tracking consumers through their cellphones and profiting from the data it collects. Filed on Wednesday in a San Francisco federal court, the proposed class-action suit claims that the retail giant gained unauthorized access to users’ location data without their knowledge or consent. The lawsuit raises concerns about privacy violations and the extent to which tech companies can collect and monetize personal information.

According to the complaint, Amazon allegedly obtained “backdoor access” to consumer devices by embedding its Amazon Ads SDK code into tens of thousands of third-party apps. This allowed the company to collect highly detailed, timestamped geolocation data, which could reveal sensitive personal details such as where users live and work, their shopping habits, and even their religious affiliations and health concerns. The lawsuit argues that Amazon’s practices amount to “fingerprinting” consumers, creating vast profiles without their explicit permission.

The legal challenge was initiated by Felix Kolotinsky, a California resident who claims Amazon collected his personal data through the “Speedtest by Ookla” app on his phone. The lawsuit suggests that many consumers may have unknowingly shared their information in a similar manner, highlighting the growing debate over digital privacy and data security. If proven, these allegations could further fuel regulatory scrutiny of Amazon’s data collection practices.

Kolotinsky’s complaint accuses Amazon of violating California’s penal code and state laws against unauthorized computer access. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages on behalf of millions of Californians who may have been affected. As concerns over corporate data tracking intensify, the case could have significant implications for how companies collect and use consumer data, potentially leading to stronger privacy protections in the future.

Data Breach Reveals Exact Location Data of Millions from Popular Smartphone Apps

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A significant data breach has compromised the sensitive location information of millions of smartphone users who utilize popular apps, including dating platforms, gaming apps, email clients, and even a period tracking app. The breach occurred when a hacker managed to infiltrate Gravy Analytics, a data broker that aggregates and sells location data from various apps on iOS and Android devices. The hacker was able to access data that includes precise location details, potentially revealing users’ home addresses, workplaces, and other personal movements. While iOS users may have been partially protected due to a privacy feature introduced in iOS 14.5, the breach still affected many devices across both platforms.

Gravy Analytics, which collects and monetizes location data, was targeted through a “misappropriated key” that allowed the hacker to gain access to the company’s cloud-based storage. The incident occurred on January 4, but the full scale of the breach remains unclear, as the company’s disclosure to Norwegian authorities provided limited details. The data compromised in the breach consists of extensive customer lists and real-time location tracking, which provides insight into the precise movements of individuals. The data affected includes smartphone data from millions of users, posing significant privacy concerns.

The leaked data, according to Baptiste Robert, the CEO of Predicta Lab, contains “tens of millions of location data points,” including sensitive locations such as military bases, the Kremlin, the White House, and the Vatican. This revelation highlights the extent of the breach and the level of detail that the stolen data contains. The breach not only exposes personal privacy but also raises security concerns, especially with the targeting of sensitive locations like government buildings and military sites.

This breach serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities associated with the collection and storage of location data by third-party companies. While users may not always be aware of the extent to which their movements are being tracked, this incident underscores the risks involved in the widespread sharing of personal information by popular apps. As the investigation into the breach continues, it remains crucial for companies to implement stronger security measures and for users to stay vigilant about the permissions they grant to apps on their devices.