Shoppers who can’t have secrets

14 May 2010 | 9:06 - By Stefano Boscutti

It's called behavioral tracking.

Cameras that can follow you from the minute you enter a store to the moment you hit the checkout counter, recording every T-shirt you touch, every mannequin you ogle, every time you blow your nose or stop to tie your shoelaces.  Web coupons embedded with bar codes that can identify, and alert retailers to, the search terms you used to find them and, in some cases, even your Facebook information and your name. Mobile marketers that can find you near a store clothing rack, and send ads to your cellphone based on your past preferences and behavior.  Just a quick reminder that advances in data collection are far outpacing personal data protection.  You can shop.  But you cannot hide.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/business/02stream.html

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About this Blog

New New Media looks at how our mediascape is exploding to bits. How the latest technology and the internet are changing the way we live, work and play. How the latest media is shaping us all.

Stefano Boscutti is an executive creative director and strategist. He's like a better looking version of Todd Sampson. He also has an abiding faith that stories and wordplay (and not powerpoint presentations) will change the world.

 
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