Judge tosses FTC lawsuit accusing broker of unfair geolocation data sales


FILE PHOTO Signage is seen at the Federal Trade Commission headquarters in Washington D.C. U.S. August 29 2020. REUTERSAndrew Kelly

FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the Federal Trade Commission headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

(Reuters) - A federal judge in Idaho on Thursday dismissed the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit against Kochava Inc alleging that the data broker unfairly sold geolocation data but gave the regulator an opportunity to revise its case.

In a 35-page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Lynn Winmill granted a motion the Idaho-based company filed in October by ruling the FTC complaint lacks sufficient allegations to state a claim. The FTC failed to allege Kochava's data sales created "significant risk" of concrete harm, order said, allowing the trade regulator 30 days to amend its arguments.

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