The Daily Bulletin Archive

No, not whales, beacons. Yes, ultrasonic beacons are helping marketers track consumers. Most people installing apps just say “okay” to every permission. But you may not know that more and more apps are incorporating ultrasonic tones to track you and your habits. The app asks for permission to your smartphone microphone, and you grant permission by saying "okay" when installing it.

Walking through the mall? Different retailers, websites, and advertisements (yes, physical advertisements) emit an inaudible beacon to the app on your phone. The app transmits information about you and your habits: what stores you go into, your browsing habits, what you like and don’t like. The article, featured in Wired, explains how this works. Read the article and check your permissions.