Investigation reveals location data of smartphones for sale in Ireland

An undercover investigation by RTÉ Prime Time in Ireland has revealed that granular location data from tens of thousands of smartphones in Ireland is available for purchase. A sample given to journalists, posing as founders of a data analytics firm, contained the minute-by-minute movement of 64,000 phones over a two-week period from earlier this year.

The available data was specific enough to track individual devices entering sensitive locations, including high-security prisons, military bases, health clinics, and the Irish parliamentary building, Leinster House. The devices could also be tracked back to specific residential addresses, as well as trips to local supermarkets. The investigation highlighted major concerns for personal privacy and national security. Sellers of the data claimed no data protection violations had occurred because individuals are not named, and that users had "given permission" to the sale of the data as per the terms of installed apps. However, RTÉ was able to quickly identify the home addresses and routines of specific individuals from the data.

The discovery is similar to findings of a 2023 report by the non-profit Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), which found that internet browsing data was being collected and sold in more granular detail than previously believed, including data on influential and sensitive professions such as elected officials and military personnel. 

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