Data brokers

Mobile Ad Software Encourages Location Data Sharing, EFF Report Finds

Published August 4, 2026 · EFF Deeplinks

EFF published research showing that advertising software kits embedded in mobile apps often pass users' location information along to the ecosystem feeding location data brokers, frequently by default and without meaningful user awareness. Researchers examined developer documentation for dozens of ad SDKs and singled out four \u2014 InMobi, BidMachine, Verve's HyBid, and Huawei's Petal Ads \u2014 that transmit location for ad targeting once an app has location permission. EFF argues app developers, lawmakers, and regulators should fix these privacy-hostile defaults rather than leaving the burden on individuals.

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