Why Is Life 360 Facing A Lawsuit?

Life360 is a widely used family-safety and location-sharing app that helps families coordinate, monitor driving, set “safe” zones, and get crash or SOS alerts. The service has become popular with parents and caretakers who want real-time peace of mind.

But in recent years the phrase “Life 360 lawsuit” has been trending because of allegations that the company shared or sold users’ precise location data — sometimes without clear consent — and because of a notable API leak that exposed hundreds of thousands of user records.

For example, according to The Markup, they found out that “the app is selling data on kids’ and families’ whereabouts to approximately a dozen data brokers who have sold data to virtually anyone who wants to buy it.”

These concerns have drawn both consumer class actions and regulatory scrutiny, forcing a broader discussion about the tradeoff between safety and privacy.

In this article, I will talk about the following things:

• What is Life360?
• What is the Life 360 lawsuit about?
• The major allegations in the lawsuit.
• How did Life360 respond to the lawsuit?
• What is the Life360 update, and what to look out for?

Additionally, I will also explain the broader implications of the lawsuit and provide you with some practical tips on using such an app. So, if these are some of the things that you want to know, keep on reading this blog till the end…

What is Life360?

Life360 (founded 2007) is a location-based, freemium app that organizes family members into “Circles” and lets them:

• Share real-time location and location history.
• Set geofences (safe zones) with alerts.
• Get driving-behavior analytics and crash detection.
• Use SOS / emergency check-ins and recently integrated Tile item-tracking after acquisition.

Millions rely on Life360 for child safety, elder care, and everyday logistics; the company reported tens of millions of active users in recent years, making it one of the largest family-safety apps.

What Is The Background Of The Life 360 Lawsuit?

A cascade of reporting, lawsuits, and regulatory actions trace back to investigative reporting that revealed Life360 sold or shared precise location data to third-party brokers and analytics firms:

• December 2021: The Markup published findings that Life360 sold precise geolocation data to data brokers. Life360 initially announced rollbacks of some data sharing but continued limited arrangements with certain partners.
• 2023 onward: Proposed class actions were filed alleging Life360 sold location data — including of children — to third parties without adequate consent.
• July 2024: An API misconfiguration led to the scraping and exposure of roughly 443,000 user records (names, emails, phone numbers). It prompted breach notices and potential class-action investigations.
• January 2025: The Texas Attorney General sued Allstate and its data analytics unit Arity for using data secretly gathered through embedded SDKs in mobile apps (reports identify Life360 as one such app that had partnerships/SDK integrations). 

That suit alleges insurers used such covertly obtained data to justify raising premiums. The action invoked Texas’ data privacy law and sought restitution, civil fines, and destruction of the data. 

Read Also: Google Incognito Lawsuit: Can You Really Fight Against Big Companies Over Data Privacy?

What Are The Major Allegations In The Life 360 Lawsuit?

The lawsuits and investigations cluster around several central allegations:

1. Privacy — Selling/Sharing Location Data

Lawsuits claim Life360 sold or shared precise, persistent location signals to data brokers and analytics firms — sometimes including data tied to minors — without clear, affirmative consent. Investigative reporting from The Markup named multiple buyers and SDK partners.

2. Security — Data Exposure

The July 2024 API misconfiguration resulted in a scrape of ~443k accounts (names, emails, phone numbers), raising the risk of phishing, doxxing, or stalking. According to Have I Been Pwned, security incidents amplify legal exposure even if they don’t directly relate to the sale of data. 

3. Transparency & Consent

Plaintiffs argue Life360’s disclosures and consent mechanisms were inadequate — users weren’t meaningfully informed that third-party SDKs and brokers would receive precise location data.

The Markup notes that the technical use of embedded SDKs (software modules integrated within the app) has been a focal point. Even when primary app permissions are granted, embedded SDKs may still forward telemetry to their corporate buyers.

4. Impact On Minors & Sensitive Inferences

Critics warn that precise location trails can reveal visits to sensitive sites (clinics, religious institutions, LGBTQ+ centers) — heightening harm potential when minors’ movements are involved.

4. Downstream Use (Insurance & Pricing)

The Texas AG’s lawsuit alleges insurers (through Arity) used location/movement data to set premiums or deny coverage—raising consumer-protection questions about how behavioral telemetry translates into financial outcomes.

How Did The Company Respond To The Life 360 lawsuit?

In an email response to The Markup, the company stated:

“We see data as an important part of our business model that allows us to keep the core Life360 services free for the majority of our users, including features that have improved driver safety and saved numerous lives.”

Life360’s public statements emphasize that it discloses data use in its privacy policy and that it has made changes since the initial reporting (limiting sales of precise location data to many brokers, offering aggregated data alternatives, and patching security issues after the API incident).

The company defends its consent model and stresses that some data sharing supports safety-related features or legitimate analytics partnerships. Still, plaintiffs and regulators say the disclosures were insufficient or misleading — a legal question for the courts. 

How Did The Life 360 Lawsuit Impact The Users?

After the news of the breach went public, there were a lot of users who were visibly affected. Here’s how this lawsuit has impacted the user:

• Immediate: Risk of spam/phishing or unwanted contact for those affected by the data leak; loss of trust.
• Medium/Long term: According to the Texas Attorney General, potential for insurers or advertisers to use behavioral datasets. There is a possibility of settlement payouts if the class actions are successful. Additionally, there might even be product changes with stronger privacy controls and fewer third-party deals.

What Is The Life 360 Lawsuit Update?

Several cases remain active: individual class actions, breach investigations, and regulatory lawsuits (or actions inspired by the Allstate/Arity filings).

Potential outcomes include the following:

• Settlements.
• Injunctive relief (forcing changes in data practices).
• Statutory fines.

Apart from these, there might even be chances for (even though less likely) trials that set a broad precedent. If you want to stay updated, it is best to watch for:

• Motions to certify class actions;
• Settlement announcements or court rulings on whether disclosure was adequate;

Additionally, according to WilmerHale, there might even be regulatory enforcement under state privacy laws (e.g., Texas’s TDPSA) and any similar suits in other states or jurisdictions.

Practical Tips For Users

• Check app permissions: Disable background location when not needed; avoid “always” location unless necessary.
• Review Life360 settings: As per their policies that I could find on Zendesk, you should opt out of optional data-sharing features if possible and limit Circle membership.
• Consider alternatives: If privacy is vital, explore family apps that promise “no-sale” policies or use manual check-ins rather than continuous tracking.
• Monitor accounts: If you received a breach notice, Have I Been Pwned recommends to watch for phishing and changing passwords. Additionally, you should also consider identity monitoring if available.

Read Also: AT&T Data Breach: What Affected Customers of This $13 Million Class Action Should Know

What Are The Broader Implications Of The Life 360 Lawsuit?

The Life360 controversy highlights the persistent tension in consumer tech. While these features enable safety, they also generate commercial value when data is aggregated or sold. The use of embedded SDKs — a common industry practice — obscures how data flows and who ultimately receives it.

The Texas AG action is notable because it invoked a state privacy statute to pursue insurers that used covertly collected location data, signaling that enforcement of state privacy laws is becoming an active tool. Expect more scrutiny of location tracking, SDK supply chains, and targeted advertising that leverages deterministic location signals. 

The Life 360 lawsuits are about more than one company. Rather, they’re a test of how the law treats modern telemetry, consent, and the downstream monetization of location signals. And that is especially true when minors and sensitive information are involved.

For consumers, the practical takeaway is to treat location apps as powerful tools that require careful configuration and to demand clearer disclosures and stronger controls from developers and regulators alike.