Privacy isn't a checkbox.
It's why Sense works better.

Most platforms mention privacy compliance as a legal disclaimer. Sense makes privacy the reason the product is faster, simpler, and more accurate. Privacy as performance, not just protection.

Privacy Enables Performance

When you design for privacy from the ground up, you get better data, faster deployment, and zero attendee friction. Here's how:

1. Passive Detection = No Attendee Friction

Platforms that require app downloads, WiFi logins, or RFID badges create friction. Attendees resist. Compliance drops. Data becomes skewed toward "people willing to be tracked."

Sense's approach: Passive signal detection. No downloads, no logins, no badges. Attendees don't need to do anything. You get complete coverage, not just compliant users.

The result: More accurate data. Better insights. No selection bias.

2. Anonymous Signals = Faster Deployment

Platforms that collect personal data require consent workflows, legal reviews, data protection officers, and compliance documentation. This adds weeks to deployment.

Sense's approach: Anonymous signal detection only. No names, emails, or identifiable information collected. No consent workflows needed.

The result: Deploy in hours, not weeks. No legal bottlenecks. No compliance delays.

3. Privacy by Design = Trust by Default

In a post-Cambridge Analytica, GDPR-era world, attendees are skeptical of tracking. Visible cameras, forced WiFi portals, and app permissions create anxiety and resistance.

Sense's approach: Privacy by design. No cameras, no forced connections, no creepy surveillance. Attendees can engage with your event without worrying about being watched or tracked.

The result: Better attendee experience. No privacy backlash. Trust, not suspicion.

What Sense Doesn't Do

❌ No Facial Recognition

No cameras. No image capture. No facial analysis. We don't identify individuals—we detect anonymous device signals.

❌ No Personal Data Collection

No names, emails, phone numbers, or user profiles. We don't collect data that could identify individuals, period.

❌ No Forced WiFi Connections

No captive portals. No mandatory logins. No "connect to our network to proceed." Attendees stay on their own networks.

❌ No App Downloads Required

No event apps with invasive permissions. No "download our app to unlock features." Zero attendee action required.

❌ No Cross-Venue Tracking

Signals are anonymized and venue-specific. We don't track people across locations or build profiles over time.

❌ No Data Selling or Sharing

Your data is yours. We don't sell it to third parties, share it with advertisers, or monetize attendee information.

What Sense Does Collect

We collect anonymous presence data—enough to understand crowd behavior, not enough to identify individuals.

Anonymous Device Signals

Smartphones naturally emit WiFi probe requests and Bluetooth beacons when searching for networks. These signals are already being broadcast; Sense passively detects them.

We capture: Timestamp, zone location, signal strength (for proximity estimation).

We don't capture: Names, phone numbers, network credentials, browsing history, or any personal data.

Randomized Device Identifiers

Modern smartphones use randomized MAC addresses that change frequently to prevent tracking. Sense honors this design—we detect presence, not persistent identity.

This means we can measure crowd density, dwell time, and flow—but we can't follow specific individuals across time or build long-term profiles.

Aggregated Presence Metrics

All data is aggregated into crowd-level metrics: how many devices in Zone A, average dwell time in Zone B, peak hours across the venue.

Individual signal-level data is processed in real-time and discarded. What remains is anonymized, statistical presence information—not personal data.

Privacy Compliance

We exceed legal requirements because privacy is our design principle, not just a legal obligation.

GDPR Compliant

Sense doesn't collect personal data as defined by GDPR. Anonymous device signals used for aggregate presence measurement fall outside personal data scope when properly anonymized (which ours are).

CCPA Compliant

California Consumer Privacy Act requires disclosure and opt-out for personal data sales. Sense doesn't collect personal data and doesn't sell any data, so CCPA requirements don't apply—but we exceed the standard anyway.

Data Retention

Clients control retention periods. Want data deleted after the event? Done. Need 6 months for historical analysis? Your choice. Data is yours to keep or delete.

Data Security

All data encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256). Access controls, audit logs, and SOC 2 Type II compliance (in progress). Security is not optional.

Privacy Approaches: Sense vs. Alternatives

Facial Recognition Systems

  • Capture images of every attendee
  • Identify individuals by facial features
  • Create persistent profiles over time
  • Highly invasive, legally risky, attendee backlash
  • Privacy as damage control

Sense

  • No cameras, no images captured
  • Anonymous signals only, no identification
  • No persistent tracking or profiles
  • Zero attendee friction, zero backlash
  • Privacy as design principle

WiFi Tracking / Captive Portals

  • Force attendees to connect to event WiFi
  • Collect email, name, phone for "free WiFi"
  • Track browsing behavior, session duration
  • Attendee resistance, incomplete data
  • Privacy as trade-off for service

Sense

  • No forced connections, passive detection
  • No personal data required, ever
  • Presence tracking only, no browsing data
  • Complete coverage, accurate data
  • Privacy as enabler of better data

App-Based Tracking

  • Require attendees to download event app
  • Request location, Bluetooth, notification permissions
  • Track app usage, clicks, engagement
  • Low adoption rates, skewed data (only engaged users)
  • Privacy as terms-of-service legalese

Sense

  • No app required, works passively
  • No permissions needed, zero attendee action
  • Presence data only, not app behavior
  • 100% coverage, unbiased data (everyone, not just app users)
  • Privacy as product advantage

The Bottom Line

Privacy isn't a legal disclaimer we bury in fine print. It's the reason Sense deploys faster, works better, and delivers more accurate data than alternatives.

Privacy as Competitive Advantage

Faster deployment: No consent workflows, no legal bottlenecks.
Better data: No attendee friction, no selection bias.
More trust: No surveillance anxiety, no backlash risk.
Simpler compliance: No personal data = fewer regulations apply.

When privacy is your design principle—not your disclaimer—everyone wins. Attendees get a better experience. Organizers get better data. And nobody feels like they're being watched.

Questions about privacy?

We're happy to walk through exactly what we collect, how it's anonymized, and why our approach works better than alternatives.