UK mall tracks shoppers thru cell phones
The Gunwharf Quays mall in Portsmouth, UK, turns out to have been monitoring its shoppers’ movements via their cell phones. Using Path Intelligence software, the management was able to see the ‘slug trail’ left by people as they went around the mall, monitoring which stores they went to, how long they stayed there, and when they went to the bathroom. This is but another instance of Big Brother tactics, as councils nationwide misuse the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act designed to combat terrorism. Over 900 reported phone and email records have been accessed under the act to investigate misdemeanors like dog quarantine breaches, unlicensed storage of petrol, and underage smoking. Peter Emery, the operations manager at Gonwharf, defended the system saying that it’s not as invasive, since there is no data capture, however, some are still outraged that their phone numbers are used for market research without their consent. This is a portent of the looming panopticon future, for those who think they are not being watched. If covert surveillance bothers you, consider taking out the battery and SIM from your phone next time you go shopping.
Shopping centre tracks customers via mobile phones, Telegraph.co.uk