The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued enforcement actions against location data companies Gravy Analytics and its subsidiary Venntel for unlawfully tracking and selling private consumer information.
According to the FTC's complaint, the Virginia-based companies collected and sold sensitive location data without proper consumer consent. The data revealed individuals' visits to medical facilities, places of worship, and other private locations.
The companies allegedly gathered data from mobile devices and claimed to process over 17 billion signals daily from approximately one billion devices. Gravy Analytics used geofencing technology to create and sell lists identifying consumers who attended specific events or visited certain locations.
Notable customers of this data included federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, and IRS.
Under the proposed order, both companies are now prohibited from:
- Selling or using sensitive location data in their products and services
- Tracking consumers who opted out of targeted advertising
- Allowing clients to use data for tracking individuals to political events or homes
The companies must also establish a dedicated program to protect sensitive location data, including information about:
- Medical facilities
- Religious organizations
- Correctional facilities
- Military installations
- Schools and daycare centers
- Domestic abuse shelters
- Homeless shelters
- Refugee centers
"This surveillance by data brokers undermines civil liberties and puts servicemembers, union workers, religious minorities, and others at risk," said Samuel Levine, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
The companies are required to delete all previously collected sensitive data that doesn't comply with the new order. Each violation could result in a $51,744 fine. The final consent order awaits approval after a 30-day public comment period.
Neither Gravy Analytics nor Venntel have responded to requests for comment on the FTC's actions.
Note: Only one link was inserted as it was the only one directly relevant to FTC enforcement actions. The other provided links about PopeyeTools and WhatsApp were not contextually appropriate for this article about FTC actions against location data companies.