Apple and Google are taking the privacy of users more seriously, and while Google has said goodbye to 3rd-party cookies, Apple also now requires sites to ask the consent of users before these websites access cookies. So, the companies are now ready to track users using the sensors of their smartphones. Abhishek Sen is the cofounder of NumberEight, a contextual intelligence startup based in the United Kingdom, and he said in an interview with Wired that the sensors of your smartphones such as magnetometer and accelerometer can allow companies to track you.
As smartphones are becoming more advanced, they come with more sensors, and most smartphones nowadays come with an accelerometer. This sensor knows when a person is running, driving, or walking. On the other hand, the magnetometer tracks which direction a person is pointing and their precise GPS location. These sensors obviously help users in several ways, but they can also act as a gateway for trackers. Wired published a report stating that companies can use the sensors of your smartphone to track you and display personalized advertisements. Abhishek Sen said that the accelerometer of your smartphone can allow companies to profile a person based on what time they wake up.
Since these sensors can determine when a person is sitting, running, and driving a vehicle, companies can tailor the content for you using this information. Sen explained that a music company might be able to change suggestions based on the movements of a person which indicates that a person will a different playlist of songs when they are sitting or jogging. Companies such as Sentiance and NumberEight use the data from the sensors of smartphones to categorize users into those who wake up early, or who commute long distances, etc. Abhishek Sen said that the behavioral context will ultimately lead the way in a climate of public scrutiny and tightening regulations.
Marketers currently use cookies to target personalized advertisements to people, and a cookie is a packet of data. This packet of data is saved in the cookies file of the web browser. There are several types of cookies on the internet such as session cookies and tracking cookies. The session cookies disappear when the website is closed. However, the tracking cookies let companies track you. These cookies keep a record of your visits to particular sites on the internet.
Rad next: Google’s updated policy calls for exclusion of apps that are designed solely for spying in the life of others without their consent
As smartphones are becoming more advanced, they come with more sensors, and most smartphones nowadays come with an accelerometer. This sensor knows when a person is running, driving, or walking. On the other hand, the magnetometer tracks which direction a person is pointing and their precise GPS location. These sensors obviously help users in several ways, but they can also act as a gateway for trackers. Wired published a report stating that companies can use the sensors of your smartphone to track you and display personalized advertisements. Abhishek Sen said that the accelerometer of your smartphone can allow companies to profile a person based on what time they wake up.
Since these sensors can determine when a person is sitting, running, and driving a vehicle, companies can tailor the content for you using this information. Sen explained that a music company might be able to change suggestions based on the movements of a person which indicates that a person will a different playlist of songs when they are sitting or jogging. Companies such as Sentiance and NumberEight use the data from the sensors of smartphones to categorize users into those who wake up early, or who commute long distances, etc. Abhishek Sen said that the behavioral context will ultimately lead the way in a climate of public scrutiny and tightening regulations.
Marketers currently use cookies to target personalized advertisements to people, and a cookie is a packet of data. This packet of data is saved in the cookies file of the web browser. There are several types of cookies on the internet such as session cookies and tracking cookies. The session cookies disappear when the website is closed. However, the tracking cookies let companies track you. These cookies keep a record of your visits to particular sites on the internet.
Rad next: Google’s updated policy calls for exclusion of apps that are designed solely for spying in the life of others without their consent
