Location data secretly gathered from smartphone apps is potentially flawed, biased, untrustworthy or even fraudulent.

Overview of data harvesting companies who claim to help fighting the virus by providing data on the movements of millions #covidwashing

Ongoing thread:
Cuebiq, data on Italian smartphone users: https://twitter.com/WolfieChristl/status/1238601285299048449">https://twitter.com/WolfieChr...
Unacast, data on US smartphone users: https://twitter.com/WolfieChristl/status/1242960702270291970">https://twitter.com/WolfieChr...
X-Mode Social, data on US smartphone users: https://twitter.com/WolfieChristl/status/1243671577398575105">https://twitter.com/WolfieChr...
Umlaut, data on German/EU smartphone users (sources in German): https://twitter.com/WolfieChristl/status/1244349450514030593">https://twitter.com/WolfieChr...
Cuebiq, data on US smartphone users: https://twitter.com/deaneckles/status/1245705660341288960">https://twitter.com/deaneckle...
Foursquare, data on US smartphone users: https://enterprise.foursquare.com/intersections/article/understanding-the-impact-of-covid-19/">https://enterprise.foursquare.com/intersect...
Understanding The Impact of COVID-19 With Foot Traffic Data

In the ~10 weeks since cases were first reported, COVID-19 has shaken humanity across industries and across geographies. The ultimate impact of the coronavirus is still highly unknown and expected to...

https://enterprise.foursquare.com/intersections/article/understanding-the-impact-of-covid-19/
"For academics, non-profits, and governments, we are actively donating SafeGraph data. Hundreds of these collaborators are actively working with [it] ... researchers have used SafeGraph data to understand coronavirus spread"

SafeGraph, data on US users: https://www.safegraph.com/dashboard/covid19-commerce-patterns">https://www.safegraph.com/dashboard...
U.S. Consumer Activity During COVID-19 Pandemic

Coronavirus's Impact On Foot Traffic To Airports, Retailers, & More Businesses. Daily Updated Dashboard Based On SafeGraph Patterns Foot Traffic Dataset

https://www.safegraph.com/dashboard/covid19-commerce-patterns
Placer, another location data company, who claims to track the movements of millions based on data from smartphone apps, provides covid-related analytics mainly for commercial clients, e.g. on visits for pharmacies in the US.
https://www.placer.ai/blog/promising-performance-for-pharmacies/
https://www.placer.ai/blog/prom... href=" https://www.placer.ai/blog/ ">https://www.placer.ai/blog/&quo...
Cuebiq, Unacast, X-Mode, Umlaut, FourSquare, SafeGraph, Placer and others are tiny to medium-size companies who gather huge amounts of data from apps.

Google is at a completely different level, uses & #39;data from users who have opted-in to Location History& #39;: https://twitter.com/WolfieChristl/status/1246022935170686976">https://twitter.com/WolfieChr...
Facebook also provides location data for aggregate analytics (& #39;COVID-19 Mobility Data Network& #39;). The data sharing policy looks at least better than others.

However, Cuebiq and Camber Systems (never heard of this company) are also part of this initiative: https://twitter.com/WolfieChristl/status/1246206440240492544">https://twitter.com/WolfieChr...
"X-Mode is also the source of location data that defense contractor Culmen International is using to map the virus& #39; spread for federal agencies"

@levinsonc& #39;s investigation into location data brokers, their data sources, and how they approach app vendors: https://twitter.com/WolfieChristl/status/1247178365641129984">https://twitter.com/WolfieChr...
Gravy Analytics, a marketing data firm whose subsidiary Venntel sold data on the movements of US citizens gathered from smartphone apps to DHS ICE, CBP and DEA: https://gravyanalytics.com/blog/covid-19-and-social-distancing-by-city/">https://gravyanalytics.com/blog/covi...
COVID-19 and Social Distancing by City - Gravy Analytics

Social distancing is quickly becoming a way of life. Given the ever-increasing number of COVID-19 cases and the virus’s ease of transmission, many of us

https://gravyanalytics.com/blog/covid-19-and-social-distancing-by-city/
PlaceIQ.

They just acquired FreckleIOT, another location data harvesting firm ( https://www.adexchanger.com/mobile/placeiq-acquires-freckle-iot-in-latest-example-of-location-data-market-consolidation/).">https://www.adexchanger.com/mobile/pl... Oracle ( http://www.oracle.com/us/solutions/cloud/data-directory-2810741.pdf)">https://www.oracle.com/us/soluti... and Adobe ( https://www.adobe-audience-finder.com/data_partner/placeiq/)">https://www.adobe-audience-finder.com/data_part... resell PlaceIQ data. Experian is a strategic investor ( https://www.placeiq.com/2019/08/experian-makes-strategic-investment-in-placeiq/).https://www.placeiq.com/2019/08/e... href=" https://twitter.com/TradeDiversion/status/1245903691649101824">https://twitter.com/TradeDive...
On covid-related location data/tracking services by Phunware (who was hired by the Trump Campaign and sued by Uber for ad fraud) and Verint Systems (according to the Intercept, the CDC is among their clients): https://twitter.com/WolfieChristl/status/1248328125324410882">https://twitter.com/WolfieChr...
"Flawed, incomplete smartphone location data is being used to fight COVID-19"

Good summary about the use of mobile location data and its problems/implications by @KateKayeReports: https://www.fastcompany.com/90489173/flawed-incomplete-smartphone-location-data-is-being-used-to-fight-covid-19">https://www.fastcompany.com/90489173/...
Flawed, incomplete smartphone location data is being used to fight COVID-19

Public health officials are turning to mobile location data to learn how the coronavirus is spreading. But researchers worry the data just isn’t accurate enough.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90489173/flawed-incomplete-smartphone-location-data-is-being-used-to-fight-covid-19
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