Weather Apps Under Fire for Collecting, Selling User Data

Weather Apps Under Fire for Collecting, Selling User Data

Several weather apps have been found to harvest and use data from its users.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Jan 08, 2019

A China-Made Smartphone weather app has stolen private data from over 10 million global users according to new research from a London-based security firm.

Upstream Systems found that the app's creator, TCL, was collecting users' geographic locations, email addresses and International Mobile Equipment Identity, a unique ID assigned to each authenticated cell phone and keeps the data on TCL servers in China.

The security firm also discovered that the weather app, called Weather Forecast—World Weather Accurate Radar, surreptitiously subscribed users of TCL's low-cost Alcatel smartphone in Brazil, Malaysia, Nigeria and other developing countries to its paid virtual-reality services. About 100,000 Alcatel phones were automatically subscribed, which would have billed the users more than $1.5 million had the firm not discovered it.

Wall Street Journal made inquires to TCL last November and the company updated the weather app that month. The app stopped automatically subscribing users, according to Upstream, but the data collection continues.

This isn't the only weather app to make data privacy headlines recently, The Weather Channel App has also been accused of using location data to make a profit.

The city of Los Angeles announced it is suing the Weather Channel, claiming it collects, shares and sells users' location data without their content. The lawsuit claims this data has been collected and sold for years under the guise it is being used to personalize forecasts. 

 In addition to the Weather Channel App and Weather Forecast—World Weather Accurate Radar, WeatherBug and Accuweather also sell their location data.


About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.