November 16, 2022
Pushwoosh, a software company whose code is used in thousands of widely downloaded apps, claimed to be based in the United States, even though it actually operates from Russia, and U.S. government agencies such as the Army and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have pulled apps with Pushwoosh code after the software company became known.
According to the latest investigation, Pushwoosh used fake street addresses and even fake employee profiles on LinkedIn to give the impression that the company was headquartered in the United States but was actually located in a city in Siberia.
The Pushwoosh code is used in at least 8,000 different apps now available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was one of the company’s customers, and it used its code in at least seven different publicly available apps until recently. It was also engaged by the United States Army.
In addition to US government agencies, consumer goods giant Unilever, the Union of European Football Associations, the American gun lobbying group National Rifle Association, and the British Labour Party have incorporated the Pushwoosh code into their apps.
Pushwoosh has repeatedly advertised in regulatory filings and on social media that it is based in the United States. According to the outlet, the company provides contract support and software to a wide range of organizations, including “international companies, influential non-profits, and government agencies.”
The sources for this piece include an article in TheRegister.
