Swirl CEO Issues Statement Ahead of FTC Seminar on Mobile Device Tracking

BOSTON, Feb. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Hilmi Ozguc, CEO of Swirl Networks, Inc., the leading enterprise-grade iBeacon marketing platform provider, today issued a statement ahead of the FTC's Spring Privacy Series Seminar on Mobile Device Tracking, on February 19. The FTC seminar will bring together academics, industry representatives, and consumer advocates to discuss technology that allows retailers to track consumers' movements throughout retail stores by identifying signals emitted by consumers' mobile devices. Concern stems from the practice of using consumers' MAC addresses, broadcasted when a mobile device searches for Wi-Fi networks, without the consumer's consent. Some key questions include:

• What types of information and benefits do retailers gain from these technologies?
• What benefits to consumers derive from these technologies?
• What are the privacy and security risks associated with these technologies?
• How are companies addressing these risks?

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According to Ozguc: "Technology advancements over the past few years have provided retailers with powerful new capabilities for analyzing in-store shopping behavior and engaging with smartphone-toting consumers while they shop in retail stores. These capabilities offer the potential for much richer and rewarding shopping experiences for consumers, but they also bring with them huge responsibilities for retailers with respect to privacy, transparency, and data security."

"According to our research, 77 percent of consumers are willing to share their smartphone location with retailers as long as they receive value in return. Retailers are best served by earning consumers' trust by asking for permission and clearly communicating why and how consumer data is being used."  

Hilmi Ozguc is available to respond to media inquiries about consumer privacy and iBeacon technology.

About Swirl Networks
Swirl is the leading enterprise-grade iBeacon marketing platform provider helping retailers leverage the power of mobile to attract and influence consumers while they shop in stores. Top retailers such as Timberland, Kenneth Cole, and Alex and Ani use Swirl's patent-pending micro-location technology to increase their store traffic, customer engagement and sales conversions. The company is led by an accomplished entrepreneurial team and backed by top-tier investors including Hearst Ventures, SoftBank Capital, Longworth Venture Partners and General Catalyst Partners. Learn more at swirl.com.

PR Contacts:
Rob Murphy
Swirl Networks
[email protected]

Lisa Mokaba
InkHouse for Swirl
[email protected]
(617) 750-5939

SOURCE Swirl Networks, Inc.