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Not sure there's anything new or unknown with this. Just Google "Bluetooth Proximity Marketing" to see the types of technology stores are using to track custom

by taude 5y ago

Not sure there's anything new or unknown with this. Just Google "Bluetooth Proximity Marketing" to see the types of technology stores are using to track customers when they walk in....

mmgu 5y ago
I don't think that many stores track customers and that a lot of the hype from a couple of years ago never ended up in a successful commercialization of the technology. (Full disclosure: Author of linked article.)
- Verdex 5y ago
  Yeah, I got excited when I read "bluetooth proximity marketing" because I was hoping that with a few weekends I could start tricking stores into thinking that everyone I ever bump into just walked into the store with me. However, google returns a bunch of results talking about the stores sending the customer data. And not the other way around. Also the customer needs a specific app. It doesn't sound like anyone is tracking anyone via bluetooth. At the very least, if they are, then "bluetooth proximity marketing" is the wrong keyword to search for.
- OJFord 5y ago
  I think something similar but very different: not many stores mention it, not much news about it, hardly anybody aware of it. Even companies that provide it talk on their websites about what they'll give you, the data and tooling, not how they'll take it from your customers. (It's also hard to talk about without sounding tin-foil hat... I don't mean to. I'm mostly resigned to it, the state of advertising etc., I mean I'll block it digitally of course, but I'm not going to go shopping in a balaclava with exaggeratedly not-mine gait or anything, just still dislike that that would be necessary if one did care enough, if you see what I mean.)
spzb 5y ago
I agree this is stuff which is common knowledge amongst those of us who know a bit about tech. I think the following quote [0] is probably the novel value of the project : "What is interesting about the dataset is that the best example for location tracking of movements are not vehicles, smartphones or even activity trackers – but headsets that do not have MAC randomization, which may make it easier to track the movements of an individual headset rather than the individual’s smartphone." [0] https://www.hegnes.tech/2021/09/01/location-tracking-of-wifi-access-point-and-bluetooth-devices/#htoc-7-conclusion https://www.hegnes.tech/2021/09/01/location-tracking-of-wifi...
slipheen 5y ago
"Everybody already knows about this, you have no reason to be upset" is a common industry refrain when people get caught doing something they know there is a public outcry against. Whether or not you know about a given thing is irrelevant, it's not a contest. A lot of people don't, and articles to explain it to them are a good thing. Things like this are really invasive, and not appropriate – just because they've been happening for a while doesn't make it more OK, it's just means they've been getting away with it.

by taude 5y ago

Not sure there's anything new or unknown with this. Just Google "Bluetooth Proximity Marketing" to see the types of technology stores are using to track customers when they walk in....

mmgu 5y ago

I don't think that many stores track customers and that a lot of the hype from a couple of years ago never ended up in a successful commercialization of the technology. (Full disclosure: Author of linked article.)

Verdex 5y ago
Yeah, I got excited when I read "bluetooth proximity marketing" because I was hoping that with a few weekends I could start tricking stores into thinking that everyone I ever bump into just walked into the store with me. However, google returns a bunch of results talking about the stores sending the customer data. And not the other way around. Also the customer needs a specific app. It doesn't sound like anyone is tracking anyone via bluetooth. At the very least, if they are, then "bluetooth proximity marketing" is the wrong keyword to search for.
OJFord 5y ago
I think something similar but very different: not many stores mention it, not much news about it, hardly anybody aware of it. Even companies that provide it talk on their websites about what they'll give you, the data and tooling, not how they'll take it from your customers. (It's also hard to talk about without sounding tin-foil hat... I don't mean to. I'm mostly resigned to it, the state of advertising etc., I mean I'll block it digitally of course, but I'm not going to go shopping in a balaclava with exaggeratedly not-mine gait or anything, just still dislike that that would be necessary if one did care enough, if you see what I mean.)

spzb 5y ago

I agree this is stuff which is common knowledge amongst those of us who know a bit about tech. I think the following quote [0] is probably the novel value of the project : "What is interesting about the dataset is that the best example for location tracking of movements are not vehicles, smartphones or even activity trackers – but headsets that do not have MAC randomization, which may make it easier to track the movements of an individual headset rather than the individual’s smartphone." [0] https://www.hegnes.tech/2021/09/01/location-tracking-of-wifi-access-point-and-bluetooth-devices/#htoc-7-conclusion https://www.hegnes.tech/2021/09/01/location-tracking-of-wifi...

slipheen 5y ago

"Everybody already knows about this, you have no reason to be upset" is a common industry refrain when people get caught doing something they know there is a public outcry against. Whether or not you know about a given thing is irrelevant, it's not a contest. A lot of people don't, and articles to explain it to them are a good thing. Things like this are really invasive, and not appropriate – just because they've been happening for a while doesn't make it more OK, it's just means they've been getting away with it.