MaxMind
MaxMind, Inc. is a Massachusetts-based data company that provides location data for IP addresses and other data for IP addresses, and fraud detection data.
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Internet geolocation, risk management, fraud prevention |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Thomas Mather |
| Headquarters | , Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Website | www.maxmind.com |
MaxMind, Inc. is a Massachusetts-based data company that provides location data for IP addresses and other data for IP addresses, and fraud detection data.[1]
History
[edit]MaxMind was founded in 2002 by Thomas "TJ" Mather and is based in Malden, Massachusetts, United States.[2] The company sells IP geolocation and other IP address related data under the GeoIP brand. In 2004, MaxMind began offering the minFraud service, a transactional risk analysis service.
Kansas glitch
[edit]In an unusual technical glitch, a farmstead about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Potwin, Kansas, became the default site of 600 million IP addresses when the digital mapping company changed the putative geographic center of the contiguous United States from 39°50′N 98°35′W / 39.833°N 98.583°W to 38°N 97°W / 38°N 97°W.[3][4][5][6] The IP addresses were frequently used by suspected criminals and other nefarious actors, which would subsequently be mapped to the Kansas farm from MaxMind's data. Law enforcement and other individuals frequently contacted or visited the property owners in connection with acts linked to the IP addresses. The owners of the property at those coordinates filed a lawsuit against MaxMind. MaxMind moved the geographic location of the default IP address to the middle of a Kansas lake and settled the case via alternative dispute resolution in September 2017.[3][7][8]
References
[edit]- ^ "IP Geolocation and Online Fraud Prevention | MaxMind". www.maxmind.com. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ "| MaxMind". www.maxmind.com. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
- ^ a b Farivar, Cyrus (2016-08-10). "Kansas couple sues IP mapping firm for turning their life into a "digital hell": Company fixed the error, but it may be years before the issue is resolved". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
- ^ Hill, Kashmir (April 10, 2016). "How an internet mapping glitch turned a random Kansas farm into a digital hell". Splinter News. Archived from the original on February 7, 2026. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
- ^ Weinberger, Matt (10 April 2016). "This company made a decision in 2002 that's making life miserable for an 82-year-old woman and her Kansas farm". Business Insider India. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
- ^ Kansas couple sues over internet glitch targeting their home; The Wichita Eagle; August 8, 2016.
- ^ "ADR Report" (PDF), Arnold v. MaxMind, Inc. (Court Filing), no. Wichita:16-cv-01309, Docket 78, D.K.S., 5 August 2016, retrieved 7 February 2026 – via RECAP (PACER current docket view
)
- ^ "US couple sues IP mapping firm over 'digital hell'". BBC. August 11, 2016.
External links
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