3w ago

Amazon secretly tracked consumers through their cellphones, lawsuit alleges

www.yahoo.com Amazon secretly tracked consumers through their cellphones, lawsuit alleges

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Ever feel like your phone is listening to you? Like when you talk about something aloud, and suddenly your web browser serves you ads for what you were talking about? Well, a lawsuit filed Wednesday against Amazon alleges the e-commerce giant has been using consumers phones to...

You're viewing a single thread.

17 comments

Amazon did this through Amazon Ads SDK, code provided to app developers that was then embedded in their apps.
So...
The mobile site is fine, right?
Also, what if you give the app zero permissions, can it still track you? 🤔
- The mobile site is fine, right?
  The mobile site would have been fine since it's not an app that would have those local permissions, unless your browser had a popup like "Allow Amazon.com to access your location" and you clicked yes. (e.g. to autofill your address)
  what if you give the app zero permissions, can it still track you? 🤔
  This SDK was code embedded in apps by developers. Think of it as part of the app itself. If the app didn't have permission to use your GPS, neither did Amazon's code embedded inside the app.
  
  If the app didn’t have permission to use your GPS, neither did Amazon’s code embedded inside the app.
  I thought it was some weird thing with google advertising APIs in android they Amazon could somehow exploit. I'm glad its not that. However, the biggest question is: Why are people giving Amazon the location permission? Its not like the Uber app, there's zero reason Amazon should need that permission. 🤔
  
  Why are people giving Amazon the location permission?
  New Amazon pickup lockers now require the app to access location and nearby devices. It used to be such that Amazon would just give you a pin that would open the locker.
  I had to download the app and enable these permissions to get my package out of a locker. It felt gross and took twice as long. I deleted the app as soon as I was done.
  
  God damn wtf. The PIN system was so simple, what the fuck is this shit. Like, its not even just the privacy issue. I want a package, I give the code to a family member, they get it on the way home from work. Why gotta make spending money so difficult?
  
  By that same reasoning neither should Uber. It's just a convenience of not having to fill it out manually.

17 comments