Apple, Google to stop X-Mode from collecting location data from users’ phones

San Francisco: Google on Wednesday confirmed it is banning location tracking software developed by data collection firm X-Mode Social from apps on Android-powered mobile devices, which dominate the global market.

Apple is also barring X-Mode from its coveted iOS devices, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

US-based X-Mode has been the subject of recent media scrutiny for its links to the country’s defense sector, particularly for selling data to government contractors involved in national security, counterterrorism and even coronavirus response.