A new class action lawsuit alleges Amazon secretly harvested and sold sensitive location data from millions of California residents through its advertising software development kit (SDK) embedded in third-party mobile applications.
Filed in US District Court by San Mateo resident Felix Kolotinsky, the lawsuit claims Amazon gained unauthorized access to users' devices by distributing its Amazon Ads SDK to thousands of mobile app developers. The software allegedly collected detailed timestamped location information without proper user consent.
According to the complaint, Amazon tracked Kolotinsky's movements through the "Speedtest by Ookla" app, gathering data that revealed personal patterns including where users live, work, shop, and visit. This information could potentially expose sensitive details about religious practices, sexual orientation, and medical history.
The lawsuit contends Amazon leveraged this data to build comprehensive consumer profiles for advertising purposes, violating California's penal code and laws against unauthorized computer access.
This case joins a growing trend of legal challenges against tech companies regarding location tracking. Recently, Texas sued Allstate for using SDK technology to monitor drivers' movements through cell phones and using that data for insurance pricing. Another 2024 class action targeted Twilio's SDK for alleged unauthorized data collection.
Amazon's privacy practices have faced previous scrutiny. In 2023, the company paid $31 million to settle allegations related to privacy violations involving Alexa voice recordings and Ring doorbell cameras. The settlement addressed claims that Amazon retained children's voice recordings indefinitely and used them to improve Alexa's algorithm.
The current lawsuit, Kolotinsky v. Amazon.com Inc., demands damages for affected California residents and seeks court orders to stop the alleged illegal data collection practices. Amazon has not yet responded to these allegations.
The case underscores mounting concerns about data privacy and transparency in mobile applications, particularly regarding SDK implementation by major tech companies.