The National Football League and all 32 of its franchises collected detailed information on fans without telling them it could be shared with advertisers, according to a watchdog report. The Digital Advertising Accountability Program (DAAP) found that league and team apps and websites gathered behavioral and geolocation data on users—the latter of which can show precisely where someone’s mobile device was at a given time—and didn’t inform them or give them the choice to opt out. In one case, the Cleveland Browns’ app encouraged users in early 2023 to allow location services to gain access to special features at the team’s stadium and access promotions but didn’t tell them their geolocation data could be shared with third party advertisers. The app has since been updated to include language that informs them of this. The probe was launched in 2023 following a consumer complaint. The NFL said it worked with the DAAP for more than a year in advance of the report’s release in order to update its privacy policies and update league and team apps and websites so that they are in compliance with the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), a self-regulating non-profit that is made up of several ad sector trade groups. “We are committed to providing a seamless user experience for our fans, as well as safeguarding their information,” said the league in a statement included with the DAAP’s report.
