Security experts are alarmed by the scale of this practice, with Zach Edwards, a cybersecurity specialist from Silent Push, calling it one of the first confirmed cases where data brokers are gathering user data via advertising bid streams, as opposed to direct app coding. This raises new privacy concerns, as users are typically unaware of the extent to which their personal information is being monitored.
The leaked data reportedly includes over 30 million location points, spanning sensitive areas such as the White House, Kremlin, Vatican City, and various military bases. The breach involves not only popular games like Candy Crush and Subway Surfers, but also dating apps like Tinder and Grindr, health apps such as MyFitnessPal, and even religious and VPN apps that are often chosen to safeguard privacy.
In light of the Federal Trade Commission’s recent ban on Gravy Analytics and Venntel for selling location data without user consent, experts urge users to take precautions. Android users are advised to avoid granting unnecessary permissions to apps, while iPhone users can activate the “Ask Apps Not to Track” feature to limit tracking and data collection.
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