UK: Firm Must Stop Tracking People With Trash Cans

Officials say that an advertising firm must immediately stop using its network of high-tech trash cans to track people walking through London's financial district.

The City of London Corporation says it has demanded Renew pull the plug on the program, which measures the Wi-Fi signals emitted by smartphones to follow commuters as they pass the garbage cans.

In one interview, Renew chief executive Kaveh Memari said he would sell the data to "anyone."

The company tested the technology in May but received a burst of publicity last week, with some wondering whether the technology was legal.

The City of London Corporation is responsible for the city's historic "square mile," home to financial institutions, law firms and tourist landmarks.

Renew did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday.

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wtf?!  why is it every companies dream to know every stupid detail about our lives?!?

Threads like these make me miss Galaki..

Anyway..While this story is a bit worrying cause it collects data its a great way for local advertising.. in the Netherlands there is a firm readying free wifi in some cities.. the trick is that they will know when and where you log on and display ads for stores around your location..

I don't see the issue with this, per se. To know that a unique person, identifiable only by their phone's MAC address, is going somewhere, is not really infringing on anyone's privacy, not at least until you attach a name and personal information to that.

If they kept it on its own, and used it, as Nikkom said, just to provide location-based advertising, there'd be no issue.

I have never heard something like this before.

who would have thunk it would be so difficult to be left the hell alone?

that is ridiculous. i would love to have a directable emp emitter, fuck their electronics.

Well unless you combine that information with boots on the ground.

For example... I'm a private investigator.    I pay this company to get the data real time.

I'm following a husband who his wife thinks is cheating on her.

I go into the starbucks he always gets his morning cofee at.  Follow him about half a block... and bam.  I know EXACTLY which adress is his, with the slighest bit of leg work... and now i can follow him everywhere he goes without having to follow him.

Oh, and don't even get me started with the really creepy guys who think they're in a relationship with someone they've only talked to like twice.

Now replace private investigator with poltiican... or hell, with police officer.  Track the cops on my block and suddenly i know when and where to make my deals without any issues.

You get caught on camera every few seconds in London, and we are worried about the bins tracking us? :p