Apple and Google will prevent X-Mode from collecting location data from users’ phones

Both Apple and Google revealed their decision to ban X-Mode to investigators working for Senator Ron Wyden (D., Ore.), Who has been conducting an investigation into the sale of location data to government entities.

In a statement provided by a spokesperson, Google said developers had seven days to remove X-Mode or face a ban from Google’s Play store, adding that some developers could request an extension of up to 30 days. An Apple representative confirmed that the company had notified developers that they had two weeks to remove the trackers from X-Mode.

Together, the two tech companies have an overwhelming share of the mobile phone market globally, and their actions to restrict X-Mode represent one of the first times a location broker has come under attack so directly.

X-Mode has been the subject of several media reports, including The Wall Street Journal, about his advocacy work. The company has provided data to a number of US government contractors for national security, counter-terrorism, and pandemic response, in accordance with its privacy policy and public spending records.

Dozens of other companies such as X-Mode obtain, buy and resell detailed location information on the movement of mobile devices in what has become a multi-billion dollar industry in which data is used for targeted advertising, understanding consumer behavior and planning real estate and investment decisions. Many location brokers, including X-Mode, have also tried to help federal, state, and local officials with their response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Consumers technically opt for such tracking by giving apps permission to record the location of their devices and agree to the terms of service. X-Mode collects the data using a small computer code called a software development kit or SDK, which is worth integrating into other developers’ applications in exchange for the collected data. Other brokers simply buy the data directly from app developers, a tactic Apple and Google have less ability to control.

Most of X-Mode’s work is in the commercial sector, where investors and corporate clients use their data to guide planning and decision-making. But it is also one of the players in the growing market for government technology, a cottage industry of companies that have sprung up to serve the national security establishment’s demand for data.

The Journal reported last month that X-Mode was collecting data from phones that run its software on nearby “Internet of Things” devices, such as fitness trackers and cars. That information was being made available to a company called SignalFrame that had received a small grant from the military and had been trying to win other contracts related to national security.

Additionally, Vice News reported last month that X-Mode pulled some of its location information from apps with a predominantly Muslim user base, such as a dating app called Muslim Mingle and a prayer app called Muslim Pro, though the company also did. has embedded software. in many other types of applications.

In response to questions from the Journal, X-Mode said it was re-evaluating its government work and that its contracts prevent someone from linking a device to personal information such as a name, address or email address.

The Reston, Virginia-based company also suggested it was being unfairly singled out. “A ban on the X-Mode SDK would have broader ecosystem implications, as X-Mode collects data from mobile applications similar to most advertising SDKs, and Apple and Google would be setting the precedent that they can determine the ability of private companies to collect and use mobile data applications, “said the company.

Several developers working with X-Mode have told the company that they plan to ask Apple to reconsider the decision, the data broker said.

Researchers working for Wyden have been investigating the business data market in the wake of revelations that US government entities are purchasing such data for surveillance and law enforcement purposes. He said he is drafting legislation to ban the practice.

“Americans are sick of learning about apps that sell their location information and other sensitive data to anyone with a checkbook, including the government,” Wyden said. “Apple and Google deserve credit for doing the right thing and kicking X-Mode Social, the highest-profile tracking company, from their app stores. But there is still a lot of work to do to protect the privacy of Americans, including removing the many other data brokers who are extracting data from Americans’ phones. “

An Apple review found that 100 applications created by 30 developers contained the X-Mode software, according to a briefing given to Wyden’s office and described to the Journal. Apple cited possible violations of its rules on data use and sharing and gave developers two weeks to remove the X-Mode SDK. Apple told developers that it appeared that X-Mode “surreptitiously builds user profiles based on collected user data,” in violation of its terms of service.

The offensive against X-Mode comes as Apple is preparing to better highlight to users of its iPhones how their data is tracked. Next year, Apple said, it will release software updates that will prevent advertisers from collecting an individual’s advertising identifier without the user’s permission. Some companies, like Facebook INC.,

They have said the change will affect their ability to target personalized ads to people using Apple devices.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s chief software engineer, this week reiterated Apple’s position that users should have control over their data, especially when it comes to tracking their location. Among the changes made to limit such tracking, he noted that a recent software change allows users to enable a feature that allows for an approximate location rather than a precise location.

“Where you go says a lot about who you are. For example, if you go to a particular place of worship, ”Federighi said Tuesday during the European Conference on Data Protection and Privacy. “There is enormous potential for this type of data to be misused. And because of the way some apps are designed, users may have no idea they’re giving them away. “

—Tim Higgins

contributed to this article.

Write to Byron Tau at [email protected]