iOS 8 randomises the MAC address while scanning for WiFi networks

Re:iOS 8 randomises the MAC address while scanning for WiFi ... by eli on Sunday June 08, 2014 @05:43PM (#7866009)

Are retail stores actually using cell phones to track people at the individual level? I mean, I know the technology exists and all, but it just doesn't seem like it'd actually be all that useful to the stores.

My guess is that the stores that are using this tech are mostly concerned about how long the average person has to wait in the checkout line, not whether Joe Blow is was in the store.

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Re:iOS 8 randomises the MAC address while scanning for WiFi ... by dag11 on Sunday June 08, 2014 @05:49PM (#7866031)

Large stores use it to positionally track unique customers. They can analyze the paths they take and ultimately what they buy. This is powerful because the can optimize the layout of their stores to maximize sales based on hard data.

This will now become much more difficult to do.

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Re:iOS 8 randomises the MAC address while scanning for WiFi ... by eli on Sunday June 08, 2014 @11:42PM (#7866894)

I'm genuinely curious: is there data on how many or which retailers do this?

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