The FTC has released a statement emphasizing its commitment to enforcing the law regarding illegal information sharing, particularly as it relates to health and location data.
It warns that when missued, location and health data collected by phones, wearables and apps, can cause significant damage to consumers. The data can be used by criminals for identity theft or even by stalkers to inflict damage.
The FTC also warned about the misuse of both reproductive health data and location tracking data, which when used together may expose people to "discrimination, stigma, mental anguish."
"The Commission is committed to using the full scope of its legal authorities to protect consumers’ privacy," it said in the July 11 statement. "We will vigorously enforce the law if we uncover illegal conduct that exploits Americans’ location, health, or other sensitive data."