App developers expressed surprise, and in at least one case disbelief, when told access to their location data was being purchased by the Defense Department and military contractors.
A review by Vice’s Motherboard found that the U.S. military taps into two data streams via a pair of companies, including one called Locate X and another called X-Mode, which sells data to contractors, including data from a Craigslist app, an app for following storms, and several apps focused on Muslim lifestyles and customs.
Nicolas Dedouche, CEO at app development firm Mobzapp, which works with X-Mode, a data aggregation and management platform that the military has contracted with to obtain data, told the outlet they were unaware their users’ location data were being given to defense contractors.
“I was not aware that X-Mode was selling those data to some military contractors,” Dedouche said. “I cannot be aware X-Mode is working with military contractors if they do not clearly mention it somewhere.”
YanFlex, the developer who works closely for the Craigslist app, were skeptical when told by Vice that X-Mode was working with military contractors. “I don’t think what you described is true,” they wrote in an email when asked for comment.
A former employee at Babel Street, the company which created Locate X, described how users of the product could draw a shape on a map, see all devices Babel Street has data on in that location, and then follow a specific device to see where its been.
The former employee, who was granted anonymity, said the data itself is anonymized, but there are ways to deanonymize a person if need be.
Babel Street employees would “play with it, to be honest,” they said.
Navy Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, a U.S. Special Operations Command spokesperson, said the data purchased from Locate X is used for national security purposes.
“Our access to the software is used to support Special Operations Forces mission requirements overseas,” Hawkins said in a statement. “We strictly adhere to established procedures and policies for protecting the privacy, civil liberties, constitutional and legal rights of American citizens.”
X-Mode said its partner apps are contractually obligated to follow relevant data protection laws and obtain consent from users.
“When we learn of any alleged issue of nonconformance by an app on our platform, we take this seriously, and we investigate thoroughly and remediate as necessary,” X-Mode said.
