Suit filed against Apple for apps sending data to advertisers

Last week, we reported about a leak in Apple’s APIs that the Wall Street Journal found concerning tapping users’ locations without user consent.

This topic now starts to take on a more serious form for Apple as that company and a number of app admins have been charged with gathering and selling iPhone and iPad user data. According to the suit, iPhones and iPads contain ways for advertisers to gather data on which users download which apps and when and how long they use them. Furthermore, the complaint states “Some apps are also selling additional information to ad networks, including users’ location, age, gender, income, ethnicity, sexual orientation and political views.”

According to the applicant, Apple and the apps are in violation of the US laws on computer fraude and privacy. Besides Apple, the publishers of apps like Pandora Radio, Paper Toss, Dictionary.com and the Weather Channel have been named defendants.

The suit aims for class action status, a means in the US legal system that allows a group to file a single case against the alleged wrongdoer. Everyone who downloaded an app between December 2008 and last week, can join the suit.

Although Apple has not issued a reaction to this case, it has, on an earlier occasion stated that all apps are screened and that the firm does not allow personal data to be used without users’ permission.

The case is Lalo v. Apple, 10-5878, filed with the US District Court of North California.