InMarket Media Barred From Selling Precise Location Data Under FTC Settlement

The Federal Trade Commission finalized a settlement with data aggregator InMarket Media over allegations the company unlawfully collected and used consumers’ location data for advertising and marketing, said an agency news release Wednesday. InMarket is barred from selling, sharing or licensing any precise location data and any product or service that categorizes or targets consumers based on location data, said the order. Other provisions require the company to delete or destroy all the location data it previously collected and any products produced from the data unless it obtains consumer consent or ensures the data has been deidentified. InMarket also must provide a "simple and easy-to-find way" for consumers to withdraw their consent for the collection and use of their location data for InMarket apps and a mechanism to request deletion of any location data that InMarket previously collected; it is also required to create a sensitive location data program and privacy program. After receiving one comment, the commission voted 3-0-2 to finalize the settlement, said the release. Commissioners Melissa Holyoak and Andrew Ferguson didn’t vote on the matter.