Building Offline Movement Routes
Every network chipset has a unique manufacturer identifier — a MAC address. When a device moves around the city, street sniffers collect these radio packets. By correlating the timestamp of the same address across different sensors, marketers build precise maps of store visits, time spent near displays, and visit frequencies.
How to Protect Against Physical Radio Tracking
- Enable 'Random MAC address' (randomization) in wireless network settings.
- Turn off Wi-Fi on your smartphone when leaving home or office for public places.
- Disable background network scanning in geolocation settings when Wi-Fi is off.
- Avoid connecting to open mall networks requiring phone number authorization.