The data broker Kochava says the Federal Trade Commission fundamentally misunderstands its business after the regulator sued the company for selling location information that the FTC fears will be used to track people going to abortion clinics and places of worship.
The independent agency, now chaired by one of President Biden’s appointees, sued Kochava in U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho to stop the alleged sale of data on hundreds of millions of devices that the government said could be used to stalk people, discriminate or enable targeted violence.
“Where consumers seek out healthcare, receive counseling, or celebrate their faith is private information that shouldn’t be sold to the highest bidder,” Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s bureau of consumer protection, said in a statement on Monday.