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FTC bans two data brokers from collecting and selling Americans’ sensitive location data

US-based Gravy Analytics and Mobilewalla must also delete historic data collected on millions of Americans.

The two settlements, announced Tuesday, will prohibit Virginia-based Gravy Analytics and Georgia-based Mobilewalla from collecting and retaining people’s sensitive granular location data. The FTC alleges that Gravy Analytics, along with its subsidiary Venntel, collected and used consumers’ location data for commercial and government uses without obtaining consent from the individuals. Gravy Analytics also unfairly sold sensitive information about individuals, such as health or medical decisions, political activities and religious viewpoints, that had been derived and determined based on a person’s location data, according to the FTC’s complaint.

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