Mobile Location Analytics

Verizon Business Group provides mobile location analytics reporting services to business customers. These services provide aggregate insights about consumer behavior based on the collection of information from consumers’ Wi Fi and Bluetooth enabled devices. Venues such as airports, hotels and stores can use these insights to better understand and serve their customers. This notice describes the information we collect, use, and share related to these services. Read Verizon's Privacy Policy

We collect MAC addresses from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled devices such as cell phones that come into contact with our business customers’ Wi-Fi network equipment. The MAC address is a unique identifier assigned to each mobile device, it identifies the make of the device (such as Samsung or Apple) but does not reveal other information about the device or its user.

We also capture the signal strength from the device to estimate the distance between the device and Wi-Fi network equipment and sensors.

Once the MAC address is collected, it is hashed and encrypted. Each MAC address translates to a unique identifier that does not identify the device from which it was obtained. This information is retained for only as long as reasonably necessary for business or legal purposes.

We analyze the information attached to hashed and encrypted MAC addresses to create anonymous and aggregated reports that are then shared with our business customers. For example, reports could help a retail business reduce wait times or optimize store layouts by informing them about how many people visited their stores, how long they stayed, which parts of the store they visited, and how often they returned. We do not attempt to re-identify this data or merge it with other data.

Verizon participates in the Mobile location analytics Code of Conduct developed by the Future of Privacy Forum. This code requires providers of mobile location analytics services to disclose their practices and provide choices for consumers. You can opt-out of having your MAC address collected for mobile location analytics reporting by companies who participate in this Code of Conduct. If you sign in to a Wi-Fi network, please read its terms carefully because some Wi-Fi networks seek consent to relate your MAC address to you and your device.

Last Update: October, 2019