In December, The Markup published a story detailing the dark side of Life360, a “family safety” app that’s used by 33 million people worldwide. Life360 has been identified as one of the largest suppliers of personal data to twelve major data brokers. Data brokers buy, package, and resell data to anyone who wants to buy it. Government agencies regularly purchase from data brokers because the companies have access to information that the government would need a warrant to collect.
Life360 claims that it does not collect the data of children under 13 without parent consent, but parents who consented likely did not know that their child’s precise location would be sold to data brokers. Most people over the age of 13 who agreed to the app’s terms likely did not know that their data would be sold, and even if they did they would not have a choice other than to not use the app.
Children have a right to grow up without personal information like location data being tracked everywhere they go. To stop data brokering and deceptive companies like Life360, Congress needs to pass a federal data privacy law and ban data brokering.
Dear Congress,
Family safety app Life360 is selling users’ location data, including data of children. It has been identified as one of the largest suppliers of personal data to twelve major data brokers. Data brokers buy, package, and resell data to anyone who wants to buy it. Government agencies regularly purchase from data brokers because the companies have access to information that the government would need a warrant to collect.
Children have a right to grow up without personal information like location data being tracked everywhere they go. To stop data brokering and deceptive companies like Life360, Congress needs to pass a federal data privacy law and ban data brokering.