Tag Archives: Geolocation

Increased Scrutiny on Notice and Choice for Use of AD Profiling, Especially Using Mobile Location Data

Photo of Taylor A. BloomBy Taylor A. Bloom, Alan L. Friel and Niloufar Massachi on Posted in Advertising, Big Data, Marketing, Mobile Privacy
Are you an app publisher or do you advertise via mobile apps or obtain marketing data that originates from them?  If so, you need to beware that regulators and consumer protection authorities are taking action against companies with regard to the notice and choice, or lack thereof, they are providing to consumers for the collection … Continue Reading

Advocate General Opinion Supports Limiting the “Right to be Forgotten” to the EU

Photo of Nichole SterlingBy Laura E. Jehl, Emily R. Fedeles and Nichole Sterling on Posted in GDPR, International Privacy Law
On January 10, Advocate General Maciej Szpunar released an opinion recommending that Google and other search engines should not be forced to apply the EU’s “right to be forgotten” beyond the EU.  The advocates general assist the judges of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), providing independent legal solutions to issues presented … Continue Reading

Bringing Geolocation Into Focus

By Brian P. Bartish on Posted in Mobile Privacy
With another Thanksgiving and another Black Friday having come and gone the holiday shopping season is in full swing yet again. As brick-and-mortar retail continues to experience a decline in favor of more convenient ecommerce options, retailers are increasingly looking for ways to enhance the in-store experience, with more and more looking to drive revenue … Continue Reading

Massachusetts AG Settlement Bars Geofencing Near Medical Facilities

Photo of Melinda L. McLellanPhoto of Stephanie LucasBy Melinda L. McLellan and Stephanie Lucas on Posted in Behavioral Advertising, Geolocation, Marketing, Medical Privacy, Mobile Privacy, State Legislation
On April 4, 2017, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office announced that it had settled with a digital advertiser following allegations the company was using geolocation technology to target ads to women visiting reproductive health facilities. Although the company denied that it geofenced clinics in Massachusetts, the AG indicated that such targeting would violate the Massachusetts … Continue Reading

Unexpected Consumer Data Collection Concerns FTC

By Alan L. Friel and Benjamin Barnes on Posted in Behavioral Advertising, Big Data, Geolocation, Marketing, Mobile Privacy, Retail Industry
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been turning its attention to consumer data collection and use that consumers may not expect, such as tracking of TV viewing by smart TVs, and use of cross-device technologies and techniques to try to associate users and households to multiple devices (e.g., TVs, mobile phones, tablets, computers, and other … Continue Reading

Mobile Ad Co Settles with FTC Over Allegations of Deceptive Geolocation Tracking And Children’s Privacy Violations for $4 Million

By Alan L. Friel and Suchismita Pahi on Posted in Children’s Privacy
On June 22, 2016, mobile advertising company InMobi Private Ltd. settled Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or “Commission”) claims of violations of Section 5 of the FTC Act, and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and Rule (COPPA), for $4 million.  The violations of COPPA supported the monetary penalty since, unlike Section 5, COPPA provides for … Continue Reading

2014 Mobile Privacy and Security Trends and What to Look for in 2015

Photo of Fernando A. Bohorquez, Jr.By Fernando A. Bohorquez, Jr. and Jenna N. Felz on Posted in Mobile Privacy
Most analysts and commentators agree that 2014 was the year mobile reached a tipping point.  With over 1 billion mobile smartphones in circulation, 2014 marked the first year that mobile Internet usage surpassed desktop use in the U.S. This trend will continue as users spend more time on mobile apps than on the Web. Mobile … Continue Reading

FTC Testifies to Congress on Proposed Senate Geolocation Data Privacy Bill

Photo of Pamela Jones HarbourBy Pamela Jones Harbour and Jenna N. Felz on Posted in Geolocation
Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee for Privacy, Technology and the Law about proposed Senate Bill 2171, “The Location Privacy Protection Act of 2014 (LPPA).” The Act would prohibit companies from collecting or disclosing geolocation information from electronic communications devices without users’ consent. The Act would … Continue Reading

Lame Duck Congress Acts on Privacy Bills, Mostly With an Eye Toward 2013

By William Weber on Posted in Identity Theft, Mobile Privacy, Online Privacy
While continuing congressional inaction on the fiscal cliff is getting most of the ink/pixels in news headlines over the last couple weeks, several privacy bills have advanced in the House and Senate. Though only one is likely to become law before the 112th Congress ends in a few days, they embody what will be the … Continue Reading
LexBlog