U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is raising questions about technology that tracks the movements of shoppers by using their cellphones.
The so-called footpath technology was developed by a British company called Path Intelligence. It tracks customers as they shop by monitoring their cellphone signals.
Two U.S. malls announced that they would use the technology on Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season.
But Schumer’s office says the malls halted the program after Schumer raised concerns.
The Democratic lawmaker wants Path Intelligence to get shoppers’ explicit consent before it tracks their movements.
He said a shopper’s personal phone should not be used as a tracking device by retailers.
Portsmouth, England-based Path Intelligence did not return an email seeking comment.
(Source: MyFoxNY)
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2 Responses
Schumer is right on this one. It is abhorrent that one can be tracked without one’s knowledge. It is essential that the government take action to stop this practice as soon as possible, before our freedom and privacy are further eroded by the remarkable technology of the cell phone.
It is not any different than them tracking customers visually which they obviously can do legally.