Mitigations: turn off bluetooth when not in use, delete unused apps (these beacons might be installed in random apps that are getting paid by the grocery store or whatever) https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/06/14/opinion/bluetooth-wireless-tracking-privacy.html
Bluetooth surveillance in stores
Maty_C
#4
In the article, Facebook internal memos described execs there being worried about ‘people freaking out’ and that they may ‘spread negative memes’ about Facebook’s Bluetooth beacon initiative - just illustrates that they don’t take criticism of their products seriously and see the concerns (privacy or otherwise) of users as somehow irrational. Industry in general seems to view themselves as ‘the good guys’ (like ‘vocational awe’ in libraryland) and that transparency/exposure of how their products work and why is the palpable related threat, not the harm it will cause.
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ellie
#5
Yes! I am so glad to see this article. My brother-in-law works for one of these beacon companies and the amount of data they collect on people is disturbing–especially since hardly anyone knows about them. As with all the things we’ve been talking about–even “anonymized” data is easily identifiable when it is combined with other things.
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