Popular flashlight app ‘deceived’ users into sharing location data
The maker of Brightest Flashlight has agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission on charges that the app “deceived consumers” into sharing location data with advertisers. While the app does allow users the ability to disable the reporting of location data to third-parties, sharing is on by default, rendering the option “meaningless,” according to the FTC. The complaint claims that the app’s privacy policy does not accurately disclose information on what type of data is being collected and how it will be used.
Goldenshores Technologies, the developer behind Brightest Flashlight, ultimately gets what amounts to a slap on the wrist, agreeing to alter their app’s privacy policy and implement a true option to disable location sharing from within the app. Users will be asked to opt-in to location data collection rather than having the function on by default. Goldenshores Technologies must also delete any stored location data already collected by the app.
Brightest Flashlight has been downloaded over 50 million times by Android users.
[via FTC]