PRIVACY

Wi-Fi sensors register all passers-by and / or visitors who have a device with them and have Wi-Fi and / or Bluetooth enabled (the device regularly sends so-called probe requests). The Wi-Fi sensor registers the MAC address, time and signal strength. The MAC address is pseudonymised on the sensor. If the sensor no longer receives a signal for a certain period of time, the status will be adjusted. The data are sent, with a delay, to a central server where the data is further processed. The edits are only done to reach the number of visitors. The data will not be processed and / or analysed in any other way and will not be stored any longer than necessary. Counting via Wi-Fi has the same principle as manually counting people, only the number of passers-by is approximated based on the number of counted devices. 

Based on the Wi-Fi signals, PFM determines the number of unique passers-by and the length of stay (within the sensor network). PFM's Wi-Fi sensors do not collect any other data from the mobile devices. 

No, the collected personal data will only be used for passer-by counting. 

A MAC address, also known as a Wi-Fi address, is a unique code with which a device is recognised. This can be a mobile phone, but also a computer, a printer or an iPad with a wireless network interface. With this MAC address, a device can access a Wi-Fi network. So it is NOT the mobile phone number or an IP address and does not refer to a person, but to a device. However, it is considered indirectly traceable personal data. Without specific knowledge, which also requires access to the data, the pseudonymised code cannot be traced back, cannot be linked and cannot be identified to a unique device. PFM has taken internal and external security measures to prevent this from happening, obtaining more than necessary data and unauthorised persons having access to the data. 

No. Counting passers-by using Wi-Fi counts is permitted, if it is GDPR compliant. This means, among other things, that: 

• A legal basis has been determined and that this has been properly recorded.
• Organisations that use Wi-Fi counts must clearly inform passers-by and / or visitors about this.
• The retention period is geared to the purpose of the measurement.
• There is a processor agreement.
• The personal data are processed privacy-proof in accordance with the processor agreement and the underlying legal provisions.

You can always choose to turn off your WiFi. You can also unsubscribe, so that your MAC address is no longer counted and included in research and analysis. You do this by registering the MAC address of your mobile phone in a central opt-out register. Would you like to unsubscribe? Then click here.

No. 

With Wi-Fi tracking, individuals are followed by a device's Wi-Fi signal, contiguous in time and place. A Wi-Fi count is only aimed at counting passers-by at a specific time in a specific place. So, with Wi-Fi counts, passers-by are not followed, but only counted.

PFM's sensors only pick up the presence of Wi-Fi signals from devices. They do not send signals. Because they do not transmit signals, there can be no disturbances and / or interferences from other devices.

PFM counts the number of passers-by in and around shops, shopping centers and shopping streets on behalf of others. We use an automatic filter to exclude residents from the counts. PFM knows that signals from residents are mainly measured before and after shop opening times. That is why PFM assumes that when the same signal is seen twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, this is a signal from a resident. From that moment on, these signals are automatically filtered out every day. If you live near a sensor, your pseudonymised MAC address will not be included in the data and therefore will not be included in the counts.

The sensors are installed at various customers and objects in the Netherlands. We do not release these locations for security reasons. If you want to make sure that your data cannot be used, you can switch off your Wi-Fi or register in our OPT out register. See "Is an OPT out option?"

Yes, as long as Wi-Fi is enabled on a device, the sensors can pick up the signals. However, “spoofing” is applied to the most current mobile phones from most manufacturers. This means that the phone will broadcast a different MAC address every so often. PFM's sensors can still capture the MAC address, but it cannot be associated with previous MAC addresses of the phone or device in question.