Android Flashlight App Developer Settles FTC Charges It Deceived Consumers, Federal Trade Commission

http://tinyurl.com/o7fecue

This flashlight app seemed like a good idea at the time. Unfortunately, it secretly shared its users’ information with advertisers and other third parties without the users’ knowledge. -CCE

The creator of one of the most popular apps for Android mobile devices has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that the free app, which allows a device to be used as a flashlight, deceived consumers about how their geolocation information would be shared with advertising networks and other third parties.

Goldenshores Technologies, LLC, managed by Erik M. Geidl, is the company behind the ‘Brightest Flashlight Free’ app, which has been downloaded tens of millions of times by users of the Android operating system. The FTC’s complaint alleges that the company’s privacy policy deceptively failed to disclose that the app transmitted users’ precise location and unique device identifier to third parties, including advertising networks. In addition, the complaint alleges that the company deceived consumers by presenting them with an option to not share their information, even though it was shared automatically rendering the option meaningless.