The App Store Is A Dragnet

Part of the Big Tech's War on Users series. This one got lost in the shuffle of other stories a couple weeks back, and I almost let it slide. That would have been a mistake. Because while the headlines have moved on, the case hasn't — and what's sitting inside it is worth paying attention to. The DOJ wants Apple, Google, and Amazon to hand over the names, addresses, and purchase histories of more than 100,000 people connected to a car diagnostics app called EZ Lynk. Walmart received a separate demand — names and addresses of everyone who bought the physical hardware at retail. Not 100,000 suspects. Not 100,000 people under investigation. 100,000 people who either had the app on their phone or bought the hardware at retail. Let that number sit there for a second. The case itself is a Clean Air Act enforcement action. The DOJ sued EZ Lynk back in 2021 over allegations that the company sells "defeat devices" — software that strips emissions controls from vehicles. EZ Lynk, which operates…