The Dark Truth Behind Malls’ Quest for Customer Data
As malls continue to struggle to stay relevant in an increasingly digital world, they’re willing to go to great lengths to get their hands on our personal data. And the CEO of UC-Wireless, Quentin Daffarn, is at the forefront of this effort.
Daffarn’s company offers a "Linkyfi" technology that allows malls to gather valuable information about their customers, including their average income, spending habits, and even their favorite brands. But at what cost?
"The power of WiFi is that it can help you understand things such as the number of people present at a given time, the total number of visitors in a day, and comparing footfall to sales," Daffarn says. "This is even before we start talking about direct engagement using WiFi, which is where you use the technology to ask crucial questions and thus segment the audience further, ensuring you can address their needs and optimise your store accordingly."
But what does this really mean? It means that malls are using our data to target us with personalized ads and offers, all in an effort to keep us coming back for more. And Daffarn’s company is at the center of it all.
"The ability to drive bespoke and tailored marketing to customers is a direct result of understanding them better," he says. "And these types of ads have greater traction because they are targeted and can even be linked to e-mail and text communications, which can incentivise customers to visit the store for a specific deal."
But is this really what we want? Do we really want malls to have access to our personal data, to use it to manipulate us into buying more stuff? The answer is no. It’s time to take back control of our data and our privacy.
The Real Cost of Malls’ Quest for Customer Data
So what’s the real cost of malls’ quest for customer data? It’s the erosion of our privacy, the exploitation of our personal information, and the manipulation of our consumer choices.
Daffarn’s company is just one example of the many organizations that are profiting from our data. And it’s not just malls that are affected. Social media companies, online retailers, and even government agencies are all collecting and using our data to their advantage.
But there are ways to fight back. We can use encryption and VPNs to protect our data, we can opt-out of data collection and sharing, and we can support organizations that prioritize privacy and security.
The Future of Malls and Customer Data
So what does the future hold for malls and customer data? Will we continue to see a rise in the collection and use of our personal information, or will we take back control of our privacy?
The answer is unclear. But one thing is certain: the future of malls and customer data will be shaped by our choices. We can choose to prioritize privacy and security, or we can choose to sacrifice our privacy for the sake of convenience and profit.
The choice is ours.
