Apple and Google plan to ban a location-tracking company from their platforms after the two network giants found out that the firm has ties to several military contractors.
Apple and Google are reportedly initiating steps to ban X-Mode, a location data-tracking firm, from their platforms after the two tech giants found about existing ties of the company with military contractors. Reports show that X-Mode gets location data from apps on Google Play Store and App Store, and then sells the information to contractors with links to the national security industry and the U.S. military.
Apple and Google to ban mobile apps that use location trackers from data broker X-Mode, after it was revealed X-Mode provided data to US government contractors (@byrontau / Wall Street Journal)https://t.co/bZr15Ej5kLhttps://t.co/AF5JGmUgqt — Techmeme (@Techmeme) December 9, 2020
In The Wall Street Journal report, both tech giants asked developers to remove the X-Mode software development kits (SDK) and location tracking functions from their apps. Google gave the location-tracking firm seven days to comply with its demands, while the Cupertino tech giant is giving the developers around two weeks. For Google Play Store, if developers fail to comply with the demand to remove their X-Mode code from their apps, Google may ban their platforms.
Both Google and Apple disclosed their decision of removing X-Mode software from their respective app stores to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). The senator is currently investigating the sale of location data to some government agencies, including the US military and the national security industry. The two tech giants also made it clear to Sen. Wyden about their intention to ban X-mode, a location-tracking firm with alleged ties to the U.S. military, in case developers fail to remove location trackers from their apps.
In November, reports surfaced about X-Mode obtaining location data from various apps on Apple's App Store, which include those that target Muslims, in particular. From that point, reports indicate that portions of the data gathered ends up in the hands of contractors with ties to the U.S. military. After a thorough investigation, Apple discovered some 400 apps embedded with the X-Mode code. Some of the developers who used the X-Mode tracking code were reportedly unaware of the location tracking firm's ties with the U.S. military. Consequently, Google and Apple are now taking steps to ban the location tracking company from its platform.
Apple furnished Sen. Wyden's office with the result of its App Store investigation, which shows around 100 apps embedded with X-Mode SDKs. Investigators allege that the X-Mode tracking firm paid developers to embed their tracking code into the apps. Apple then told developers that X-Mode is in violation of the App Store's terms of service when it "surreptitiously" built user profiles based on data they gathered. A similar case occurred with apps at the Google Play Store. As a result, Google and Apple now plan to ban the location tracking firm and its X-Mode code from their platforms for their alleged ties to the U.S. military and their reported sale of gathered data.
