Financially troubled startup helped power Trump campaign

By GARANCE BURKE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Phunware Inc., a software company that built the cell phone app propelling President Donald Trump’s supporters, is in financial distress and has received key support from the administration and the president’s reelection campaign. The company’s stock is trading for pennies. It recently agreed to pay Uber $4.5 million as part of a settlement over fraudulent advertising claims. In April, the Phunware got a $2.9 million loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. As Trump’s campaign winds down, there are questions about how the campaign will use data gathered by the app. The data can include people’s IP addresses and their physical locations.