14 DAY TRIAL // The US Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement with GoldenShores Technologies, the developer of the Brightest Flashlight Free app, which allows Android users to utilize their devices as a flashlight.
The FTC is unhappy with the fact that the company has failed to inform the millions of users who downloaded the application that their precise location and unique device identifier would be collected and transmitted to third parties, including advertisers.
The fact that the flashlight app’s privacy policy deceptively failed to inform customers that their information had been shared is not the only problem.
The Android program starts collecting and sharing information with third parties even before users give their consent.
When the app is first launched, customers are presented with and End User License Agreement that informs them about data collection. However, the app starts collecting and sharing information even before users press the “Accept” or “Refuse” buttons.
As part of the settlement with the FTC, Goldenshores Technologies has agreed not to deceive customers about how their information is collected and shared. The company is also required to provide users with precise information on when, how and why their geolocation data is collected, shared and utilized.
Express consent must be provided before the Brightest Flashlight Free application starts gathering any information. Furthermore, the personal information collected from consumers through the Android app until now must be deleted.
“When consumers are given a real, informed choice, they can decide for themselves whether the benefit of a service is worth the information they must share to use it,” noted Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “But this flashlight app left them in the dark about how their information was going to be used.”