Life360 decides to stop selling the precise location data of its multi-million users to third-party entities.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 20: Customers look at the latest iPhone models at Apple Store on September 20, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. Apple's latest iPhone 11 features dual rear cameras, including a wide angle camera.
It comes after the firm was exposed for selling the data of its users globally to various brokers, which gives it to numerous third-party entities.
Life360 to Stop Selling Precise Locations
This time around, Life360 has announced that it is changing its ways of doing business.
As per a report by Apple Insider, the self-proclaimed "family safety app" vows to stop giving away the precise location data of its users to other entities.
The CEO and founder of Life360, Chris Hulls, said that the app would finally cut ties with its current location data deals that give away the precise locations of its users.
The announcement from the CEO and founder of the app himself was released to the investors of Life360 on the Australian Securities Exchange on Jan. 26 as part of its Dec. 2020 Quarterly Activities Report.
It was written in the report that "we have begun terminating our relationships with all other location data partners with the exception of Allstate/Arity, which will continue."
But still, according to a news story by The MarkUp, Life360 further clarified that it would only stop selling the precise location data of its users. However, the location data will still be sold to Arity, but it will now be in an aggregate form.
In theory, locations in aggregate form should be more difficult for it to be used to track a user individually.
Therefore, Hulls claimed that its decision to move away from giving out precise location data of its millions of users would "significantly advance privacy initiatives" of the firm.
The CEO dubbed the move as a means to reduce "business risk" for the company that he co-founded.
Read Also: German Police Reportedly Misused Luca COVID Tracing App Data to Find Witnesses For a Man's Death
Life360 and Users Data Sale
After a previous exposé unraveling the business practice of Life360 last Dec. 6, the firm has argued that its sale of user data essentially helps the services of the app to be available for free.
Back then, ex-employees of Life360 also claimed that the app is one of the biggest providers of location data to third-party entities.
An employee works on reconditioning smartphones, mainly Iphone, at the Largo company headquarters which is a Back Market refurbishing company subcontractor, in Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire, outside Nantes, on January 26, 2021. (Photo by LOIC VENANCE / AFP)
On the other hand, an engineer from a location data provider also disclosed that Life360 is known for providing one of the "most valuable offerings" or location data. It comes as it does not only cover vast amounts of users, it also gives away their precise information.
Last Nov. 23, Life360 purchased the Bluetooth tracking company, Tile, for a whopping $205 million.
Related Article: Lawsuit Against Google Alleges Deceiving Users by Collecting Location Date Despite Tracking Disabled
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Teejay Boris
