Malls to begin tracking shoppers cell phones, where is the public outcry?
Attention holiday shoppers: your cell phone may be tracked this year.
As i'm posting this story, i'm dumbfounded this isn't headline news across the country. If the "Occupy" movements needed something to protest this story is surely something we should all protest. It won't be long before authorities subpoena a mall's cell phone records to track Americans.
Starting on Black Friday and running through New Year's Day, two U.S. malls -- Promenade Temecula in southern California and Short Pump Town Center in Richmond, Va. -- will track guests' movements by monitoring the signals from their cell phones.
While the data that's collected is anonymous, it can follow shoppers' paths from store to store.
The goal is for stores to answer questions like: How many Nordstrom shoppers also stop at Starbucks? How long do most customers linger in Victoria's Secret? Are there unpopular spots in the mall that aren't being visited?
While U.S. malls have long tracked how crowds move throughout their stores, this is the first time they've used cell phones.
The tracking system, called FootPath Technology, works through a series of antennas positioned throughout the shopping center that capture the unique identification number assigned to each phone (similar to a computer's IP address), and tracks its movement throughout the stores.
The system can't take photos or collect data on what shoppers have purchased. And it doesn't collect any personal details associated with the ID, like the user's name or phone number. That information is fiercely protected by mobile carriers, and often can be legally obtained only through a court order.
Now, U.S. retailers including JCPenney and Home Depot are also working with Path Intelligence to use their technology, Biggar said.
Home Depot has considered implementing the technology but is not currently using it any stores, a company spokesman said. JCPenney declined to comment on its relationship with the vendor.
If you wish to voice your displeasure here are the Mall's contact information:
Forest City Commercial Management Company owns both malls:
50 Public Square
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 621-6060
The Promenade in Temecula
40820 Winchester Road
Temecula, CA 92591
Phone # 951-296-0975
Short Pump Town Center
Mall Management Office
11800 West Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23233
Phone # 804-360-1700
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/blackfriday/chi-malls-track-shoppers-cell-phones-on-black-friday-20111122,0,2668219.storyhttp://money.cnn.com/2011/11/22/technology/malls_track_cell_phones_black_friday/index.htm