Entitled “Physical Store Online Shopping Control” and granted on May 30, the patent outlines a system which can detect aspects of customers' internet activity when they log onto Amazon stores' WiFi networks. According to news outlets, the patented algorithm would register when customers are trying to access competitors' websites and interfere with such attempts to comparison shop via mobile. The algorithm could also send notifications to Amazon salespeople telling them to approach mobile window shoppers at key moments, or send customers text messages or coupons "designed to lure the person back into Amazon’s orbit." But it’s an example of how tricky a truly dominant corporation could be if it runs rampant." See also: New WikiLeaks Docs Show The CIA Has Been Hacking WiFi Routers For YearsJanet Burns covers tech, culture, and other fun stuff from Brooklyn, NY.

Source: Forbes June 18, 2017 18:56 UTC