The Global Surveillance Free-for-All in Mobile Ad Data

This report examines how commercial data brokers and platforms like Babel Street’s LocateX leverage mobile advertising identifiers and bidstream data to enable geofencing and tracking of individuals, including law enforcement officers, jurors, and visitors to sensitive sites such as mosques and abortion clinics. Anchored by Atlas Data Privacy’s lawsuit under New Jersey’s Daniel’s Law, it details data sourcing (e.g., Venntel), related tools (Fog Reveal, Tangles), the privacy impact of MAIDs, Apple’s ATT vs. Android practices, and emerging state-level legal responses. It concludes with practical guidance to reduce tracking exposure by disabling ad IDs and tightening location permissions.