InMobi is a mobile advertising and monetization network operated by InMobi Pte. Ltd., a private Singapore-registered company with subsidiaries, founded in India. Its own privacy policy discloses collection of device identifiers (IDFA, GAID, IDFV, cookie IDs), precise or IP-inferred geolocation, network and app/SDK metadata whenever a user is served an ad, and states InMobi 'may be deemed to be selling' personal information under CCPA while sharing data with publishers, advertisers, data/marketing partners and its corporate group. In 2016 the FTC settled charges that InMobi tracked the locations of hundreds of millions of consumers, including children, without consent and in violation of COPPA, paying $950,000 in civil penalties and agreeing to a comprehensive privacy program — a final regulator order, not pending litigation. No later breach or additional public enforcement action was found in this research.
TRACK RECORD
1 ENFORCEMENT ACTION
[2016-06-22]
The FTC announced a June 2016 settlement of charges that InMobi deceptively tracked the locations of hundreds of millions of consumers, including children, without knowledge or consent — even when a user had denied location permission — and separately violated COPPA by collecting location data from child-directed apps without parental consent; InMobi agreed to pay $950,000 in civil penalties and implement a comprehensive privacy program.
InMobi's privacy policy states it collects device identifiers, geolocation (precise when app/site permission is given, otherwise inferred from IP address or, with consent, WiFi identifiers), network information (mobile carrier, IP address, connected WiFi access point IDs) and app/SDK metadata whenever a user views an ad or interacts with an InMobi-powered survey; it separately states this Marketing Platform data is retained for up to thirteen months before being anonymized.
The FTC's own 2016 press release independently identifies InMobi as a Singapore-based mobile advertising company whose network reached more than one billion devices worldwide through thousands of popular apps, corroborating the operator identity and scale disclosed in InMobi's own policy.
InMobi's privacy policy defines the company as InMobi Pte. Ltd. and its subsidiaries, naming that Singapore entity as the controller for personal information processed under the policy.
InMobi's privacy policy states it 'may be deemed to be selling' personal information under the CCPA's broad definition of sale, and separately discloses sharing information with publishers/supply partners, demand partners and advertisers, third-party 'Marketing Partners' who provide data enrichment and attribution, service providers, and InMobi's own corporate Group of affiliates.
The FTC announced a June 2016 settlement of charges that InMobi deceptively tracked the locations of hundreds of millions of consumers, including children, without knowledge or consent — even when a user had denied location permission — and separately violated COPPA by collecting location data from child-directed apps without parental consent; InMobi agreed to pay $950,000 in civil penalties and implement a comprehensive privacy program.
The same privacy policy lists the specific device-identifier techniques InMobi uses to recognize users across apps and sites: iOS's IDFA and IDFV, Google's GAID or Android ID, connected-TV/OTT advertising identifiers, IMEI where legally permitted, and cookie IDs.