Apple Sued Over Applications Giving Information to Advertisers
December 29, 2010, 8:12 AM EST By Joel Rosenblatt
"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 suit.
The suit, filed on behalf of Jonathan Lalo of
Apple iPhones and iPads are set with a Unique Device Identifier, or UDID, which can’t be blocked by users, according to the complaint. Apple claims it reviews all applications on its App Store and doesn’t allow them to transmit user data without customer permission, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit, claiming the transmission of personal information is a violation of federal computer fraud and privacy laws, seeks class-action status for Apple customers who downloaded an application on their iPhone or iPad between Dec. 1, 2008, and last week.
Amy Bessette, a spokeswoman for Apple, didn’t immediately return a phone call or e-mail seeking comment.
The case is Lalo v. Apple, 10-5878, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (
--Editors: Fred Strasser, Mary Romano
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