A U.S.-based company called LocationSmart inadvertently exposed data on the precise location of mobile phones on its website as a result of a software vulnerability.
The company, based in California, partners with wireless carriers to collect real-time data on the location of cellphones that it then sells to other companies for marketing and other purposes.
LocationSmart, until Thursday, offered a free demo service on its website that allowed a user to enter their name, email address and cellphone number to test out how the company determines their precise location.