"Mobile Location Analytics: Addressing Opt-Outs and the 'Creepy' Factor," Webinar, IAPP Privacy. Security. Risk. Online
Explore the latest considerations arising from mobile location analytics and tracking capabilities in the retail sector. As individuals recognize the pervasive use of location tracking, following substantial media coverage and cookies guidance from international regulators, location analytics has reached a critical point in consumer perception. Consumers value the efficiency of a cookie-filled online environment, but increased awareness of targeted advertising causes backlash about the "creepiness" of tracking — particularly when it extends to the physical world, where beacons and targeted advertising are deployed in brick-and-mortar stores, restaurants and other offline locations. If the creepy factor is not effectively addressed, we expect consumers to exercise their right to opt out of tracking.
We discuss the ethics of consent, digital trust and achieving personalization without the perception of constant surveillance. The session also covers government access to location data and compares U.S. and EU approaches to consent. We also briefly touch on location data use cases in the changing post-Covid environment (e.g., contact tracing and notification/consent).