Mall of duty: Black Ops. No, you're not a customer, you're just an ad audience metric
- Reference: 1606302304
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/11/25/bork/
- Source link:
Submitted by a Register reader, the sign looks very much to us like it might be running Windows 7 (certainly by the look of the filled recycle bin lurking behind consoles of distress.) Our reader told us the picture had been snapped in the last few months, although the sign itself appears to be stuck in January 2020.
[1]
You beauty: Veni, VidiReports.... but definitely did not vici
Most of us are still waiting for March 2020 to come to an end.
On the first day of Christmas, my Bork mate said to me..
The Register is planning its own tribute to the upcoming holiday season. Seen some crappy Christmas computers, or had to deal with a seasonal software or hardware cockup or two? Drop us an [2]email to have your story included in our 12 Borks of Christmas.
For many users, Windows 7 dropped out of support back on 14 January, just before the world was pretty much placed on pause. The date to which the signage hardware has been set might therefore be an attempt to stop the OS whinging to the world about an update. Alternatively, it could be a simple case of the date being immaterial to functioning of the sign.
Running behind the scenes here is VidiReports, an audience measurement tool from Quividi. The software is used by marketers to work out just how many people stopped and stared at the content on the screen (anonymised, of course.)
Showing its underwear to passersby is version 6.3.2. Version 7 lays claim to the ability to detect faces at a distance of up to 15m, track those faces and discern both gender and age range. It also runs on a variety of chippery (up to an i7) atop Linux or Windows.
"Its modular architecture makes it future-proof and easy to administer remotely," [3]trumpets the company although we'd contend that, judging by what is in the logs, a future including " Cam input lost " is not something it planned for, no matter how many console windows of desperation might be open.
Still, today's bork is a reminder that while you might be admiring the antics of some animated signage, somebody else might be admiring you (or your metrics.) ®
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[1] https://regmedia.co.uk/2020/11/25/bork_vidireports.jpg
[2] mailto:richard.speed@theregister.com
[3] https://quividi.com/audience-measurement-platform/
[4] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: The future is madness
the things that used to indicate a serious detachment from reality are now just a common part of everyday life.
Indeed. It is sad to note that now a belief that no-one is watching you indicates a serious detachment from reality.
Re: The future is madness
I can still walk down a hallway or street and people just don't see me, and nearly walk into me.
"discern both gender and age range"
I call shenanigans.
Facial recognition is fraught with failure ; there is largely enough proof of that for me to utterly disbelieve that a computer program can reliably tell if a face belongs to a man or a woman, and even less what age range the face is in.
But hey, it's marketing so who cares ?
I don't recall being asked if I submit to that kind of tracking the last time I went to a shopping centre. CCTV etc, yes, for prevention of crime (notices in the car parks), but not facial recognition for foot fall metrics (no signs, so no informed consent etc)
It's completely anonymous so I guess the argument is they don't need your consent. You're in a public space so there's no expectation of privacy etc.
I take your point though. It's a small step to correlate your presence in front of that screen with your phone GPS via Facebook or whatever, and work out it's *you* standing in front of the screen. This doesn't have to be in real-time. It could be hours after the fact - perfectly fine for serving you custom adverts.
"Hey! We noticed you looking at Ann Summers! Here's our offers on dildo's and butt plugs!"
The thing is creepy.
Shopping centres aren't public though
Most shopping centres aren't public spaces though. Westfield in London used to have tiny signs at the entrance doors pointing out it was private property and banning you from taking pictures. I expect that chasing down teenagers taking selfies was safer for the security guards than dealing with the gangs having turf wars.
So I think the arguments run that if you are in a public space, you have no expectation of privacy. If you are on private land, the landowner is allowed to record you.
Stores track your phone's Wi-Fi as well, which is even more invasive.
Well that is fairly easily worked around.
An unrelated thought
Reading this. I noticed that Win7 got its final EOL on 14/01 just when the current interesting times were starting. Is there any link? Paranoid minds wish to know.
The future is madness
One of the issues my grandfather had when he was well into his mental decline was a firm belief that the people in the TV were watching him. It's a little concerning that when the same thing eventually happens to me, no-one will actually notice since the things that used to indicate a serious detachment from reality are now just a common part of everyday life. I just need to make sure I have enough cats that the imaginary ones don't stand out, and I'll be completely prepared for my gentle descent into insanity.