So, privacy aware dutchies of devRant.
I was waiting for a friend at Utrecht central Station and saw this sticker (image attached).

Basically, by walking in the building with your wifi and / or Bluetooth active, you're giving them consent to track you.

They use the tracking to see where passengers wait for their train and what the popular routes are.

I thought you should know.

(this is the site on the sticker: http://stations.nl/beleid/privacy/)

@linuxxx were you aware of this?

@FMashiro Nope. Luckily I never use either Bluetooth or WiFi.

Fuckers.

@linuxxx but are they turned on? Because it obviously uses your phone's autoconnect feature...

I usually only use WiFi at home and never use Bluetooth. I apply sex ed poster logic to my phone.

@FMashiro Check security.nl. an article about this was put there today I thought

@FMashiro Nope, always off!

There’s an open source project called snoopy that does this. You can make it yourself with some pi’s and Pi zeros to track people and, the best part ... it grabs all of the info their phone is requesting when it tries to connect. 👌🏼

I think this is fine because they are providing free WiFi as a service

@ChappIO Sarcasm? 😂

@LogicBomb no absolutely not. In transactions you are either a customer or a product. If you’re not paying then there is no question which of the two you are

@ClemFrieckie I pay about 2 bucks for a 20 minute train ride. The train generally isn’t full either.

@ChappIO when you're not using it (the free wifi) what gives them the right to track us? We aren't paying for anything, we didn't give explicit consent, and unless you see this tiny little fucking sticker on the window at the entrance, you wouldn't even know.

Do you still think it's acceptable?

Oh, also, if you're using a wireless device (smart watch, headset or whatever) you're Bluetooth will have to be on. And since the "opt out" is basically "turn your wifi and Bluetooth off" you're being forced to choose between not using your devices or being tracked.

@FMashiro all they can “track” is the fact that you’re on the station. It’s not like they have access to your traffic.

@ChappIO actually they do. Your services also reach out to those wifi beacons so I know what services you’re running and can find out a lot of information about you.

@LogicBomb THANK YOU

@GodHatesMe not sure what you mean

Wow...
I never walk out of my house with BT or Wifi on. It is a waste of battery power and it makes you about as vulnerable as unprotected sex with a dockside whore.

When I am at a trusted place and need Wifi, I turn it on. Not too lazy for this. 😉

@FMashiro I think it's more for spreading awareness that you'll be tracked by others if you don't turn them off and that the malicious people won't be kind enough to put up a warning about it.

@ChappIO They can make out a pattern of your daily commute if they share this info with others who are tracking too at different places. The sharing would also be legally fine as it's just supposedly harmless information they've passed.

@avalanche no. According to the website (which belongs to the railways) they say that they personally, as in, the railway track you.

Sadly, most phones does still send out beacon even with wifi "off"

Where exactly is that sticker? Just want to see it myself. (And ask my aunt (an IT manager with NS) WTF this is about)

@SZenC it's next to the left door at jaarbeurs zijde

@FMashiro Thanks!