Developers: Beware of Ad Libraries that Betray Your Users’ Location Privacy
Advertising SDKs bundled into mobile apps routinely harvest users' location data and route it to data brokers, often without developers realizing it. That data has ended up in law enforcement investigations, including immigration enforcement operations.
Why this matters: Most developers add ad SDKs to make money, not to build a surveillance pipeline. But that is what they can become. Once location data flows to a broker, the developer has no idea where it goes next. Users have even less. That data has been used by ICE, which means an app someone downloaded to track their runs or split a dinner bill could contribute to a government investigation of someone nearby. Developers have real power here. Choosing an SDK is also choosing what you do to the people who trusted your app.
Who should care: General readers · Privacy officers · Policy
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