Google and Apple are trying to put a stop to apps on your phone that track and sell your location data. X-Mode Social is one of such companies whose code in some of the apps do the things that Apple and Google are trying to stop.

 

The Wall Street Journal reports that both tech giants have told developers to remove X-Mode’s code from their apps. Failure to do that would lead to their apps being pulled from their respective app stores.

 

X-Mode uses an SDK to track a users’ location and then sends that data to X-Mode, which sells it. In return, X-Mode also pays the developer based on how many users the app has.

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X-mode has its technology in over 400 apps. They include many apps designed for Muslim users, such as one that reminds users when to pray, and a Muslim-focused dating app.

 

Apple is giving developers two weeks to remove the SDK, while Google is giving them just one week, however, they can apply for a 30-day extension.

 

According to a report by Motherboard, the real reason X-mode may have gotten the ban is that it was also selling the data to the US military.

 

A reason Apple and Google are trying to address this issue is probably scrutiny from the US legislature. In October 2020, Senator Ron Wyden introduced a new data privacy bill aimed at forcing tech platforms to mind their own business or face severe penalties.

 

“Mark Zuckerberg won’t take Americans’ privacy seriously unless he feels personal consequences. A slap on the wrist from the FTC won’t do the job,” Wyden said in a statement.

 

 

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