Detect weather application to collect and sell unauthorized user data

To display more accurate forecasts, weather applications will require users to allow access to location data. But one thing that most users probably don't know is that some weather applications are using their own data to sell to third parties.

The Weather Channel application has recently been sued by Los Angeles City Council (USA) for deliberately using user data. Specifically, the allegation clearly states that Weather Channel has exploited the user's personal location data, then sent it to IBM and third party affiliate marketing systems. These data are not used for weather services but for advertising and other business purposes for profit.

Detect weather application to collect and sell unauthorized user data Picture 1
Photo: Thenextweb.

The Weather Channel application has about 45 million users every month. The application will require users to allow access to the device's location data before downloading to provide accurate weather and warning information.

This is not the first weather app on the market that is found to be secretly 'harvesting' user location data and reselling it to advertising businesses. If these data fall into the wrong hands will cause great risks.

In 2007, Accuweather - popular weather application was also discovered to perform the act of collecting and selling user data even when they turned off location data sharing.

Most recently, the NY Times has discovered another popular weather forecast application that WeatherBug is sending user device location information to "obscure" partners.

More seriously, another weather app is Weather Forecast - World Weather Accurate Radar is also detected not only to collect personal data of users but also to try to force them to register for paid services on the platforms. other virtual platform.

Obviously, from the unfortunate events that seriously affect these users, Google and Apple need to be more rigorous about how other units collect and use user data.

See more:

1. Why is your data worthwhile?
2. Android collects user data even when the device is not used 50 times more than iOS
3. Manipulating a finger on the smartphone screen can also reveal the user's personal information