FTC warns Android application developers using Silverpush

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned 12 developers of Android apps about using Silverpush - software that listens for signals in certain television commercials in their apps, without notifying users about it. The developers and apps weren't specifically named, however they are all available on the Google Play Store.

Here's what the FTC explains:

"Silverpush is a technology that enables mobile applications to listen for unique codes embedded into television audio signals in order to determine what television shows or advertisements are playing on a nearby television. This functionality is designed to run silently in the background, even while the user is not actively using the application. Using this technology, Silverpush could generate a detailed log of the television content viewed while a user's mobile phone was turned on."

"These apps were capable of listening in the background and collecting information about consumers without notifying them," said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "Companies should tell people what information is collected, how it is collected, and who it's shared with."

Silverpush has officially announced that its service is currently not being used in the U.S. market.

Read more -here-

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