Big Brother Is Watching: Helsinki Airport Introduces Real-Time Passenger Tracking

Helsinki's airport will be the first in the world to track passengers to within feet. The plan is being hailed as a technological breakthrough — and is drawing scrutiny from privacy advocates.

Sensors will monitor all mobile phones with Wi-Fi access turned on from parking lot to takeoff, helping to observe crowding and prevent bottlenecks at the two-terminal airport which 15 million fliers pass through a year. Passengers opting in through an application will also receive offers from shops and restaurants, as well as gate and flight information.

While the technology has clear benefits, companies must tread carefully to adopt it as such systems can be perceived as enabling the monitoring of unwary people. U.S.-based retailer Nordstrom Inc. ended a tracking test last year after suffering a backlash from disgruntled customers.