Why Mobilewalla Is a Risky Data Provider | Data Allegiance Analysis
- Clarence Philip Balingit
- Apr 26
- 2 min read
Mobilewalla, a global leader in consumer intelligence and mobile data, faces serious scrutiny for its data collection and usage practices. Data Allegiance's in-depth analysis shows why Mobilewalla is considered a high-risk data provider, focusing on FTC enforcement actions, privacy violations, and major reputational risks.
1. FTC Enforcement Action for Selling Sensitive Geolocation Data
In December 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a major enforcement action against Mobilewalla, alleging that the company collected and sold precise geolocation data without consumers’ knowledge or consent. The FTC's complaint states that this data revealed visits to highly sensitive locations, such as:
Healthcare facilities (including reproductive health clinics)
Places of worship
Homeless and domestic violence shelters
Military bases
This level of tracking exposed consumers to severe privacy risks, including discrimination, physical harm, and emotional distress.
2. Data Collection Through Real-Time Bidding Without Consent
Mobilewalla collected personal and location data through Real-Time Bidding (RTB) systems — even in cases where Mobilewalla did not win the ad auction. The FTC specifically called out this practice as unfair under the FTC Act, a landmark move in regulating RTB privacy abuses.
By gathering sensitive consumer information without express, informed consent, Mobilewalla exposed companies using their data to regulatory liability and reputational fallout.
3. Creation and Sale of Sensitive Audience Segments
The FTC found that Mobilewalla created and sold audience segments based on sensitive characteristics inferred from location data, such as:
Religious beliefs
Health conditions
Political activities
Such profiling, when linked back to individuals, poses enormous privacy, ethical, and legal risks, particularly for brands looking to protect consumer trust and comply with global privacy standards.
4. Controversial Tracking of Protesters in 2020
Mobilewalla made headlines in 2020 after reportedly tracking mobile devices of individuals participating in Black Lives Matter protests and analyzing inferred racial demographics without consent. This action drew widespread condemnation and fueled accusations that Mobilewalla engaged in unethical and invasive data mining.
Such practices can severely damage a brand's image and expose users to physical risks, particularly marginalized or vulnerable groups.
5. Indefinite Retention of Sensitive Consumer Data
The FTC alleged that Mobilewalla indefinitely retained sensitive personal data collected through its systems, even when it was no longer needed. This long-term storage of highly sensitive data increased the risk of:
Unauthorized access
Data breaches
Abuse by malicious actors
Mobilewalla’s poor data minimization practices further elevate its risk profile for any organization considering partnerships.
Conclusion: Why Mobilewalla Is a High-Risk Data Broker | Data Allegiance
Data Allegiance recommends extreme caution when considering Mobilewalla as a data provider. Ongoing FTC actions, allegations of non-consensual data collection, profiling sensitive populations, and retention of unnecessary data make Mobilewalla a significant liability for brands focused on privacy, compliance, and consumer trust.
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