Feds crack down hard on selling of personal data without consent

The US government is taking action against a data broker allegedly involved in selling consumers’ location histories without consent, highlighting regulators’ attention to privacy. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a ban on a Texas-based data aggregator, InMarket Media, from selling or licensing precise geolocation data. InMarket allegedly collected location data from mobile apps without disclosing its use for targeted advertising. The FTC contended that InMarket categorized consumers based on their location data for marketing purposes without obtaining informed consent. The settlement also required InMarket to delete or anonymize previously collected data. The FTC has a history of scrutinizing data brokers and recently targeted Outlogic, banning the sale of sensitive location data.