UmeNow's Privacy Mom Supports Law Suit Against Data Grabbing Apps and Social Networks

Companies posing as social networks, games and apps are engaged in the greatest data grab in history. The 18 firms sued for using privacy-invading mobile apps warrant scrutiny.

Pembroke Pines, Fl (PRWEB) March 17, 2012

The founder of UmeNow, Evelyn Castillo-Bach, announced today that she supports the federal class action lawsuit filed by a consortium of Texas attorneys who seek to protect the privacy rights of mobile App users nationwide.

"We support the attorneys who are exposing how the biggest technology companies and social networks are secretly extracting the private address books from people using mobile devices and smart phones," said Castillo-Bach, who is also known as Privacy Mom.

“Companies posing as social networks, games and apps are engaged in the greatest data grab in history. Our privacy rights should not take a back seat to technology or cease to exist when we enjoy a video game or some other App on our mobile devices," said Castillo-Bach, who takes the position that public social networks are actually data collection companies. The Occupy Privacy campaign she leads raises public awareness about companies that harvest private information for profit. "They treat people's personal details like a commodity no different than gold or soybeans to be bought and sold," says Castillo-Bach, who was recently interviewed on radio addressing privacy violations by social networks.

The complaint under Case No.1:12-cv00219 was filed on 3/12/12 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division. It names the following companies:

Path, Inc., Twitter, Inc., Apple, Inc., Facebook, Inc., Beluga, Inc., Yelp!  Inc., Burbn, Inc., Instagram, Inc., Foursquare Labs, Inc., Gowalla Incorporated, Foodspotting, Inc., Hipster, Inc., LinkedIn Corporation, Rovio Mobile Oy, ZeptoLab UK Limited  aka ZeptoLab, Chillingo Ltd., Electronic Arts Inc., and Kik Interactive, Inc.

The law suit alleges numerous violations of state and federal laws and seeks a jury trial for relief and recoveries for a class of iPhone, iPad, iPod and Android wireless mobile device owners, whose private address book data was taken and used without prior permission.

Company Information:
UmeNow has banned all tracking and all ads. UmeNow's 2-tier membership structure promises the same privacy protection to its free members. Premium level members who subscribe for $6.00/ month have access to all site areas.

Evelyn Castillo-Bach is the founder of UmeNow and Collegiate Nation. UmeNow entered into its silent launch in July 2011. Collegiate Nation--also known as GoCNCN.com-- is the first and only private network exclusively for college students. Castillo-Bach was interviewed earlier this year by Miami television to address privacy issues impacting college students.

Both UmeNow and Collegiate Nation are known for fiercely protecting the privacy rights of its members. All ads, third party apps and games are banned because they are back doors to tracking and extracting private information. Castillo-Bach earned her M.S. in 1993 from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She has traveled extensively in Ethiopia and in the Balkans, accompanying her Danish husband who is a lawyer.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/3/prweb9296365.htm