Dive Summary:
- Monitoring vandalism isn't the only use retail stores have for hidden cameras anymore.
- Pinhole cameras inside of things like advertising monitors and mannequins evaluate age, sex, ethnicity and facial expressions of shoppers, and can be combined with what was purchased, the type of credit card used and even a license plate number to create a profile.
- Smartphone tracking, RFID tags and return rewards are also used to gather information, but most retailers offer little disclosure, if any, as to how much and what information they collect.
From the article:
... “While most consumers understand a need for security cameras, few expect that the in-store video advertising monitor they’re watching … is watching them” with a pinhole camera, says Pam Dixon, executive director of World Privacy Forum to our cohorts at ShopSmart, which recently looked at the variety of ways in which your shopping behavior is being monitored and tracked. ...
