I don't know if you have noticed some of the paper-white displays scattered around the Boston area?
Did you know that these ubiquitous digital signage is collecting data from your phone?
Soofa is a technology and advertising company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and they currently produce digital kiosks in cities and towns in 18 states.
These 7-foot devices, which resemble giant Amazon Kindles, have been set up in Boston, Revere, Somerville, Chelsea and other neighborhoods across Massachusetts.
"You can help local residents get help by putting some necessary activities or information on the screens of these kiosks," said Chas Carey, the town administrator of Brookline.
Recently, it was revealed that these seemingly innocuous devices, in addition to providing information to pedestrians, can also obtain information from residents' mobile phones without people knowing.
In response to this question, Soofa's headquarters in Cambridge discussed data collection on Tuesday. Soofa clarified that no identifying information will be collected, but said that people who walk past the sign with a Wi-Fi device will be part of the pedestrian trend tracker provided to the municipality.
The kiosk will only collect the unique address of a resident's device and encrypt it before sending it back to Soofa, the company said.
"Recognizing the sensitive nature of data collection and privacy, Soofa has always maintained and prioritized transparency in our processes," they said in a statement. ”
Soofa said the municipality uses the data collected to record pedestrian flow to aid in planning and development. The company said the data is not shared with third parties and only with the municipality.
"In a nutshell, Soofa leverages sensors in our kiosks to help cities optimize the use of public spaces and better understand the flow of people in key areas of the city," the company said. ”