Thanks for sharing! Entertaining read.

The app uses rot(4) to obscure data, includes a debug link with the collected data, and has the Fluzo service api key hardcoded, among other gems.

Of course the API key is hardcoded... how else would the app contact the server?

At some point the app needs to have some credential hardcoded, but you can make it more obscured by getting the API key from your own server with some kind of challenge/response. This makes it easier to rotate third party API keys and cut off unauthorized usage, by including information in the challenge request that could be used to correlate unauthorized requests.

Your hardcoded credential could then become a cryptographic key that you could rotate on app upfates.

I am not sure how many apps actually go through this trouble.

You mean they were using the mic to see if you were watching the game?

Yes. Then, they would try to pinpoint your location and if you were watching the game at a bar that doesn't have a license from them, they would sue the owner.

Now that they need your consent, they have named this feature "protect your team!" since the teams get royalties from bar licenses...