A hacker has claimed responsibility for breaching Gravy Analytics, a US-based location tracking company, and leaking approximately 1.4 gigabytes of data. The claim surfaced on a Russian-language cybercriminal forum, accompanied by screenshots purportedly substantiating the breach. Efforts to verify the incident have faced challenges as Gravy Analytics’ official website has remained offline, and the company has yet to issue a response to inquiries.
Independent cybersecurity experts have assessed the leaked data and found the breach to be credible. Marley Smith of RedSense and John Hammond of Huntress confirmed that the exposed data appears legitimate. However, the identity of the hacker responsible remains unknown.
Gravy Analytics has previously been under scrutiny for its data practices. In December, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reached a settlement with Gravy Analytics and another data broker, Mobilewalla, over allegations of deceptive data collection practices. The settlement was part of the Biden administration’s broader crackdown on data brokers accused of collecting and selling sensitive location information without proper consent.
The FTC has voiced concerns over the potential misuse of such data, highlighting risks that include stalking, blackmail, and espionage. However, the agency declined to comment on the reported breach. FTC Chair Lina Khan has repeatedly emphasized that targeted advertising practices contribute to the vulnerability of sensitive personal information, warning of systemic risks in the current data economy.
