Goldenshores Technologies, LLC, maker of “Brightest Flashlight Free” app in Android’s play store, has agreed to settle with a Federal Trade Commission complaint Thursday.
The FTC’s original complaint said the developer’s privacy policy did not disclose that the app was sharing exact location data with third-party advertisers using unique device identifiers. This means advertisers could track a user’s location over time — but only if a user were actually using the flashlight capability (if the app were just installed, and not being used, no location data would be transmitted).
Additionally, “the company deceived consumers by presenting them with an option to not share their information.” If a user had opted to not share his or her information the app would still transmit location data to third-party advertisers. The FTC also pointed out that nowhere in the privacy policy did Goldenshores Technologies tell users his or her data might make its way to third-party advertisers. The company only stated that any information collected would be used by the company.
The app, which was downloaded more than 50 million times, is still in Android’s play store today. The settlement with the FTC basically rights each wrong Goldenshores Technologies made initially. The settlement prohibits the company “from misrepresenting how consumers’ information is collected and shared and how much control consumers have over the way their information is used,” according to an FTC press release.
The company must also update their privacy policy to tell users when, why and how any information is used. Lastly, the company “will be required to delete any personal information collected from consumers through the Brightest Flashlight app.”
