Economy
Apple Accused of Selling iTunes Customers’ Listening Data
(Bloomberg) – Apple Inc. was sued by customers who claim the company is unlawfully disclosing and selling information about people’s iTunes purchases as well as their personal data, contrary to the company’s promise in advertising that “What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone.”
Three iTunes customers from Rhode Island and Michigan sued Friday in federal court in San Francisco seeking to represent hundreds of thousands of residents of their home states who allegedly had their personal listening information disclosed without their consent.
The disclosure of iTunes customers’ personal data isn’t only unlawful but can also be dangerous because it allows for targeting vulnerable members of society, according to the complaint.
“For example, any person or entity could rent a list with the names and addresses of all unmarried, college-educated women over the age of 70 with a household income of over $80,000 who purchased country music from Apple via its iTunes Store mobile application,” the customers said. “Such a list is available for sale for approximately $136 per thousand customers listed.”
They seek $250 for each Rhode Island iTunes customer whose information was disclosed and $5,000 for each one in Michigan, under the states’ respective privacy laws.
Representatives of Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
The case is Wheaton v Apple Inc., 19-cv-02883, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).
-
News2 months agoINVESTIGATION: Why Nokia Could Matter More in the Quantum Age Than It Ever Did in Mobile
-
News2 months agoINVESTIGATION: Is AI in a Bubble? Inside the Trillion-Dollar Question Reshaping Global Markets
-
News2 months agoThales & Ankaa to Deliver Multi-Mission Air Traffic Surveillance Radars for Oman, Capable of Supporting Civil & Military Operations
-
Economy2 months agoWhat Higher Oil Prices Mean for Oman’s Economy in 2026
-
Economy2 months agoOMIFCO Successfully Completes Bookbuilding & Sets Final IPO Offer Price
-
Business2 months agoOman India Fertiliser Company Lists on Muscat Stock Exchange
-
Banking & Finance1 month agoBank Muscat posts net profit of RO137.49 million in H1 2026
-
Insurance2 months agoLEADERSPEAK: Dhofar Insurance CEO Sunil Kohli on Oman’s Insurance Sector, Reinsurance & Market Outlook

You must be logged in to post a comment Login