Life360
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| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 17 April 2007 |
| Legal Structure | Private |
| Industry | Technology |
| Also known as | |
| Official website | https://www.life360.com/ |
Life360 is a location-based social networking application developed by Life360, Inc., a San Mateo, California–based technology company. Designed primarily for families, the app enables users to share real-time locations, communicate through group messaging, receive alerts about members' movements, and access emergency services. Since its launch in 2008, Life360 has evolved into a comprehensive safety and coordination platform with millions of active users worldwide.[citation needed] Its emphasis on private circles and family-focused features distinguishes it from other location-sharing tools, making it a widely used app for digital family life management.
Consumer-impact summary
[edit | edit source]- User privacy: Serious privacy concerns have emerged around Life360's handling of location data. In December 2021, The Markup reported that the company was selling precise user location data to third-party data brokers.[1] In a quarterly activities report filed the following month, Life360 announced that it would phase out its sale of user location data, except for its deal with Allstate-based partner Arity. [2]
- Business model: Life360 operates on a freemium model, offering basic services for free while monetizing premium features and an exorbitant amount of user data.
- Market control: In 2021, Life360 purchased Jiobit, a tech startup developing GPS devices designed for tracking family pets or children.[3] Later the same year, Life360 purchased Tile, a brand of bluetooth-enabled tracking devices often paired with keys or other valuables to find such items when lost.[4] Because of this, Tile users were forced to either forego further use of their devices or resign themselves to Life360's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy so that they could continue to use them.
Incidents
[edit | edit source]Sale of data to Arity and Allstate (2016)
[edit | edit source]Life360 collected and sold data to Arity, a subsidiary of Allstate, which allegedly broke the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act in its later use to increase car insurance premiums.
Continued sale of data to data brokers (2021-Present)
[edit | edit source]In December 2021, an investigation by The Markup found that the data of over 33 million people was being sold to various data brokers, including X-Mode who sold data to defense contractors (despite Life360 prohibiting the sale or marketing of user data to government agencies since 2020).[5] The app was described as a "firehose of data", with the sale of user data occurring since 2016 according to former employees of both Life360 and X-Mode. It was noted that the sale of user data made up for 20% of the yearly revenue.[6]
In 2023, a proposed class-action lawsuit was brought forward against Life360 based on the information found in the 2021 investigation.[7]
In 2024, X-Mode and Outlogic were charged by the FTC for not obtaining user consent for raw location data.[8]
Data breach (2024)
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See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Keegan, Jon; Ng, Alfred (6 Dec 2021). "The Popular Family Safety App Life360 Is Selling Precise Location Data on Its Tens of Millions of Users". The Markup. Archived from the original on 6 Dec 2021. Retrieved 28 Feb 2026.
- ↑ Keegan, Jon; Ng, Alfred (27 Jan 2022). "Life360 Says It Will Stop Selling Precise Location Data". The Markup. Archived from the original on 27 Jan 2022. Retrieved 28 Feb 2026.
- ↑ Perez, Sarah (27 Apr 2021). "Family tracking app Life360 to acquire wearable location device Jiobit for $37M". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 18 Oct 2026. Retrieved 18 Oct 2026.
- ↑ Perez, Sarah (22 Nov 2021). "Family locator service Life360 to acquire Tile for $205 million". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 18 Oct 2026. Retrieved 18 Oct 2026.
- ↑ Keegan, Jon; Ng, Alfred (2021-12-06). "The Popular Family Safety App Life360 Is Selling Precise Location Data on Its Tens of Millions of Users". The Markup.
- ↑ Towey, Hannah (2021-12-07). "Popular safety app Life360 is reportedly selling the precise location data of millions of kids and their families". Business Insider.
- ↑ Keegan, Jon (2023-06-01). "Life360 Sued for Selling Location Data". The Markup.
- ↑ "FTC Order Prohibits Data Broker X-Mode Social and Outlogic from Selling Sensitive Location Data". Federal Trade Commission. 2024-01-09.