From CNET: Google on Thursday said it has taken action against a company that sold the location data of Android users.
The company, called SafeGraph, had sold data sets to customers, which it obtained by having software developers embed SafeGraph's code in their apps. One of the company's clients was the US Centers for Disease Control, which gathered data as part of its response effort to the coronavirus pandemic, according to an investigation by Motherboard.
Google said it sent a 7-day warning in June to all apps working with SafeGraph. The apps were required to remove the code that helped collect data for SafeGraph, or they would face enforcement on the Google Play marketplace.
SafeGraph and the CDC didn't respond to requests for comment.
The news comes as lawmakers have criticized big tech companies over access to user data. Earlier this year, Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, introduced a bill with several other senators that would require law enforcement to get a court order before obtaining personal information from third-party brokers.
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