The New York Times reports on the growing collection of consumer data by restaurants. To help engender “highly personalized hospitality,” many restaurants are constructing databases to identify consumer preferences and, in some cases, log data on potential diners or analyze an individual’s spending habits. With the aid of computer software and Internet services, restaurants can “amass a trove of data with ease,” something, the report states, that “may strike some diners as creepy or intrusive.” Meanwhile, Time reports on the future of retail in the age of Big Data. With increased use of video cameras and smartphone location data, Pam Dixon of the World Privacy Forum said “it’s absolutely crucial for these companies to…disclose what is happening.” (Registration may be required to access this story.)
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