The Federal Trade Commissions accused the data broker Kochava of endangering individuals by selling access to a marketplace that can identify people visiting abortion centers, domestic abuse shelters, and places of worship.
The Federal Trade Commission has sued data broker Kochava for buying and selling massive troves of geolocation information that it says can be used to target individuals, exposing them to “stalking, discrimination, job loss, and even physical violence.” In a statement, the agency said it was able to use Kochava data to identify the movements of a person who appeared to have visited a shelter for at-risk pregnant mothers, for example.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Monday in a federal district court in Idaho, where the company is headquartered, demands that Kochava immediately stop selling geolocation data or implement safeguards that remove those datapoints, and delete the information currently in its possession. Kochava is accused of violating Section 5 of the FTC Act by engaging in “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce,” according to a complaint. Kochava told Forbes it is preparing a statement on the lawsuit.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, privacy advocates and abortion rights groups have warned that location and other personal data collected from platforms and mobile devices could be use to incriminate people seeking or performing abortions.
