Los Angeles Sues The Weather Channel

City Attorney of Los Angeles Sues Popular Weather App Claiming Deceptive Collection and Sharing of Geolocation Data | Proskauer - New Media & Technology - JDSupra. The headline caught my eye. Los Angeles sues the Weather Channel. Say what? Is California upset about too much sunshine? Too much rain? Upon further reading, the issue comes down to whether the typical user gets enough information about what his location data will be used for. In order for smartphones to be more useful, the handy little GPS chip we use to navigate around, must be able to track our movements. So, any app that you give permission to track you as you go around town, or around the world, will know where you are at all times. This can be very useful; say, when you are lost in Las Vegas, or, like me 4 years ago, when you leave your phone on the table at a Vegas hotel restaurant, and don't realize it until you are back at your room in another hotel. But, what happens to this geolocation data when the app developer gets it? Why, they sell it to other companies who use it to sell your their product, and so on. If you knowingly consent to this use, no problem. But, this lawsuit accuses the Weather Channel of failure to obtain "informed consent" from the users. What happens when governments, police forces, and others have this information? Then next time you install a new app, ask yourself if the app is worth it.