If you take your mobile phone when visiting a major shopping centre, there's a good chance that Big Brother is watching you.
The Daily Telegraph reports that four firms operating more than 30 major shopping centres across the country are using technology that tracks the movement of mobile devices. The aim is to keep track of patterns of behaviour such as the order in which people visit particular shops, and the time they spend in each shop. It's also being used as a way to track the overall numbers of visitors at particular times of the day and week.
The operators insist the technology is completely anonymous and that no data about individual phones or users is collected. They say the scheme benefits customers and stores as it allows shopping centre planners to arrange stores in a way that reduces how far shoppers have to walk to get to the various stores they want to visit.
But privacy campaigners aren't convinced, arguing that it's wrong to track shoppers without their knowledge and without giving them the opportunity to opt out.
