Tile: Data may be sold in the future

Tile is being taken over by Life360 – and this company earns its money primarily by selling data to companies and government agencies. For users of Tile, this means severe cuts in the protection of their personal data.

What does Tile do?

Tile makes trackers that can be attached to important objects. This allows users to know at all times where their keys, wallet or other items they have tagged with the trackers are. This is especially useful for people who tend to misplace items. Tile trackers also benefit users in the event of an actual loss.

The downside of the technology is that a great deal of personal data is generated: Tile trackers can easily be used to create personal movement profiles, as keys, wallets and the like are taken along in the vast majority of cases.

What is the problem?

This is exactly the big problem that arises for all users when Life360 takes over Tile: The new company cares little about protecting that personal data, and makes no secret of generating much of its revenue from selling just that. This, in turn, is problematic, as it allows both companies and government agencies to monitor and access data subjects. From comparatively harmless perfected advertising to more aggressive attempts to influence behavior to state intervention, this makes many highly questionable intrusions into private life much easier.

The data is primarily collected by large data brokers, who sell it on. The U.S. Department of the Interior, for example, also buys data from these brokers, enabling it to circumvent the high hurdles of its own data collection and thus gain low-threshold access to the movement data of countless people.

What alternatives are there?

Tile’s biggest competitor is Apple with its Airtags, which offer exactly the same function as the Tile trackers. The big advantage is that Apple places far greater emphasis on privacy than Life360. If Apple’s services are more expensive, this is not only because the brand name is paid for, but also because Apple largely forgoes the lucrative business with the data.