Consent is King: X-Mode Launches New API for Partner Apps.

X-Mode is pleased to announce the launch of our new Consent API for our partner apps. This tool ensures that all 400+ apps on the X-Mode location data panel will have the resources necessary to follow privacy legislation and keep users informed about how their data is collected, anonymized, and shared. 

What is the Consent API?

The Consent API provides every app running the X-Mode SDK with a framework for obtaining informed consent. It gives developers the option to utilize our own, pre-made consent dialogue boxes, or customize their own. In either case, the Consent API allows developers to inform users what data is being collected and how it will be used and/or shared. Users not only have more insight into what is happening to their location data but also are able to opt-out of location tracking altogether if they so desire. Consent dialogue boxes are customized to comply with legislation, notably CCPA in California and GDPR in the EU and EEA.

Why is X-Mode offering this?

In the words of X-Mode’s VP of Engineering, Dan Greene:

“For a long time, some companies in the location industry have had a Wild West attitude towards obtaining consent. X-Mode does not share that attitude. We have always prioritized user privacy and transparency, and with the Consent API we are really trying to make that position clear.

We are focused not just on giving users an opt-in/opt-out button, but making sure they are informed about what is happening at every step of the process. That’s why we call it ‘informed consent.’ If they read our dialogue and say no, we will never collect their data. And if they say yes, hopefully it’s because they comprehend the information presented to them and feel comfortable with it.”

Well said, Dan!

How does the Consent API benefit…

The user?

App users can fully understand how their location is being collected, and shared with third parties through the X-Mode SDK. This information is presented to them in a clear and accessible way, giving them confidence that their data — should they choose to share it — is in good hands. And if they are not comfortable sharing this data, they can opt out at any time using our EasyOpt app and Opt-Out online portal.

The App Publisher?

With the Consent API, app publishers on the X-Mode platform receive a ready-made consent framework designed to be plugged into their existing infrastructure. Developers can still add their own branding to this framework, but X-Mode provides the scaffolding for an informed consent to comply with existing regulations and guidelines, so developers are free to focus on other aspects of their app. 

The Location Industry?

To quote Dan once again:

“This renewed focus on privacy is not going away. And in the short term, the location data industry may take some temporary hits. Companies with shoddy consent structures and privacy policies will have to evolve or be left behind. But in the long term, it’s going to be a positive thing for the industry. Users will trust the companies they share their data with. There will be less fear that location data can be used by bad actors. Instead, we can focus on the positive use cases provided by high quality, consent-driven location data.”

As a company entrusted with user location data, X-Mode is well aware of our  hefty responsibility to collect and share data both legally and ethically. . We take privacy seriously, and we think other location companies should too. That’s why we are proud of projects like the Consent API, done not to benefit the bottom line but to help make this industry more safe and secure for everyone. 

The quest to protect privacy and earn the trust of the public is a never-ending one. Hopefully this latest offering shows that X-Mode is taking the right path.

At X-Mode, we are constantly working to change the location industry for the better. To learn more about our commitment to privacy, check out our privacy hub and privacy policy today. If you have any more questions, or think that your company would benefit from a partnership with the leading provider of quality location data, head over to our contact page.