City of Los Angeles
The City of Los Angeles has sued the makers of the Weather Channel App, saying it uses the data it gathers in ways that have nothing to do with providing accurate local weather forecasts.
The suit accuses TWC Product and Technology, the company behind the app, of using the popular app to covertly mine the private data of its users and sell the information to third parties, including advertisers.
The app coaxes users to turn on location tracking so they can receive personalized local weather information, alerts and forecasts. But unbeknownst to them, TWC has been amassing this data and selling it to third parties for commercial purposes, like targeted advertising and analysis for hedge funds, according to the suit.
“If the cost of a weather forecast will be the sacrifice of deeply private information–like precisely where we are, day and night — it must be clear, in advance” City Attorney Michael Feuer said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. “But we allege TWC elevates corporate profits over users privacy, misleading them into allowing their movements to be tracked, 24/7. Were acting to stop this alleged deceit.”
The complaint alleges that TWC used location tracking technology in the app to monitor where users live, work, and visit. This information is allegedly used by at least a dozen third party websites to target ads over the last year and a half, based on the places users frequent. Its also been sold to hedge funds interested in consumer behavior.
The apps trove of location data, gathered from some 45 million monthly users, is one reason why IBM purchased the Weather Companys product and technology division in 2016, the suit claims.
The complaint, filed Thursday in California Superior Court (read it here), accuses The Weather Company of violating the states unfair competition law for failing to be up front about how it uses consumers location data, and misleading users into believing this information would be used exclusively for obtaining local weather forecasts.
TWC allegedly intentionally obscures information regarding its uses of geolocation data within its 10,000 word Privacy Policy. The suit seeks an injunction to stop these practices and assess a civil penalty of up to $2,500 for each violation of the unfair competition law.
“The Weather Company has always been transparent with use of location data; the disclosures are fully appropriate, and we will defend them vigorously,” the company said in a statement to Deadline.
The Weather Channels television network is a separate entity, owned by Byron Allens Entertainment Studios.
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