INMARKET · THIRD-PARTY APP SDKs · FTC
Precise location collection can begin inside someone else's app.
Third-party app → embedded SDK → precise location → commercial profile
In its InMarket case, the FTC described precise location information collected through InMarket's own apps and through third-party apps containing its software development kit. The FTC's order prohibited InMarket from selling or licensing precise location data and imposed restrictions on products derived from it.
Why it matters: A consumer does not need a direct relationship with every company that ultimately receives or processes information generated by the software on their phone.
Primary source: FTC — InMarket location-data order
This page preserves the anecdote and its caveats separately from the shorter Why Privacy Matters explainer. The goal is to keep the argument readable without hiding the receipts.