> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nearmedia.co/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # WhatsApp 'Yellow Pages,' Open-Source Surveillance, Amazon vs. Walmart - URL: https://www.nearmedia.co/whatsapp-yellow-pages-dangers-of-open-source-location/ - Published: 2021-09-17T23:39:52.000Z - Updated: 2021-09-17T23:48:50.000Z - Author: Greg Sterling - Tags: News ### What's My Business: WhatsApp's 'Yellow Pages' Earlier this week we wrote about Twitter's relatively new "[About Module](https://www.nearmedia.co/twitters-gmb-profile-intuits-12b-strategy-transatlantic-privacy-fail/)" on its professional profiles for local businesses. David Mihm cleverly called it "Twitter My Business." Now, WhatsApp has done something similar but much more ambitious and potentially successful. Reuters [reported](https://www.reuters.com/technology/whatsapp-launches-test-in-app-business-directory-2021-09-15/?ref=nearmedia.co) that WhatsApp has introduced a searchable local business directory in Brazil. Facebook's Matt Idema is quoted, saying, "This could be ... the primary way that people start a commerce process in WhatsApp." Facebook partly sees [WhatsApp business profiles](https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/account-and-profile/about-your-business-profile/?lang=en&ref=nearmedia.co) as Facebook Pages for the parts of the world where Facebook adoption is weak. WhatsApp has roughly two billion monthly active users around the world. I was not able to determine a current figure for business accounts. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/03/80/0380d96d-ef7e-450e-96b3-2963e18aaab5/content/images/2021/09/Screen-Shot-2021-09-17-at-1.31.29-PM.png) Source: Techzim **Our take:** - Twitter's vague local business strategy will fail. WhatsApp could have a major impact where it has strength – almost everywhere outside the US. - I haven't used the directory and can't speak to its utility/usability. But it has great potential. And WhatsApp facilitates immediate connections between consumers and businesses. - Facebook has millions of SMB advertisers but no satisfactory "local search" experience. WhatsApp Directory may be a second chance. ### Privacy Perils of 'Open-Source (Location) Intelligence' It goes without saying that location data is highly valuable -- and revealing. Mobile location can reveal where people live, their jobs, politics, brand affinities and more. Recognizing this, police are increasingly [seeking](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/16/geofence-warrants-reverse-search-warrants-police-google??ref=nearmedia.co) so-called "geofence warrants." But, as the WSJ [points out](https://www.wsj.com/articles/law-enforcements-use-of-commercial-phone-data-stirs-surveillance-fight-11631707201??ref=nearmedia.co), law enforcement are also gaining access to this same data sans warrants through "open-source intelligence." They're simply buying it as any entity might from a data broker. Then they can do the same analysis, but without the pesky warrant. Data vendors "have created products that cater to the law-enforcement, homeland-security and national-security markets. Their troves of data ... have increasingly been used to screen airline passengers, find and track criminal suspects, and enforce immigration and counterterrorism laws," observes the WSJ. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/03/80/0380d96d-ef7e-450e-96b3-2963e18aaab5/content/images/2021/09/neonbrand-JXg7Yq5b1wE-unsplash.jpg) Photo by [NeONBRAND](https://unsplash.com/@neonbrand?utm%5Fsource=unsplash&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcontent=creditCopyText)/[Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/law-enforcement?utm%5Fsource=unsplash&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcontent=creditCopyText) **Our take:** - There is a bill pending in the Senate that would compel law enforcement to get a warrant before obtaining commercially available location data. - However this wouldn't stop third parties, unconstrained by the Fourth Amendment, from getting the identical data and handing it over to police. - The proliferation of data about individuals, location in particular, makes this a high priority privacy issue that should be addressed. ### Amazon vs. Walmart vs. Everyone Else Consumers tend to shop at the same stores online and off. However their reasons for shopping in each channel are distinct. A new [survey](https://www.junglescout.com/consumer-trends/??ref=nearmedia.co) from Jungle Scout finds that nearly 60% of US consumers shop in stores to "get out of their homes." (The survey was fielded in Q2 this year.) Top motivations for online buying are: 1) lower prices, 2) convenience, 3) price comparison capabilities, 4) free/low-cost shipping, 5) fast shipping (COVID safety was number 10). The amounts of money people are spending online are relatively modest; 85% spend less than $500 a quarter. Just over half of respondents (51%) make purchases on Amazon at least once a week. The top reason for Amazon shopping is Prime membership, followed by a couple of different versions of "low prices." Those who don't shop at Amazon prefer shopping in stores and aren't Prime members. Finally, 58% of consumers describe themselves as brand loyal, an increase since their previous survey. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/03/80/0380d96d-ef7e-450e-96b3-2963e18aaab5/content/images/2021/09/Screen-Shot-2021-09-17-at-2.34.39-PM.png) Source: Jungle Scout **Our take:** - Several recent studies emphasize the importance of the store in consumer retail spending. In this report, among the top 20 online shopping sites, 70% are also traditional retailers with stores. - Where do people start shopping? In order: Amazon, Google, Walmart, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram. Amazon was 18 points ahead of Google. - Perhaps most interesting: the overall number of stores consumers shop at appears to be declining. In other words, more of their shopping is being concentrated in fewer places – online and off. ## Recent Analysis - ****What Reviews Tell Us About How Walmart Is Really Doing**, [by Mike Blumenthal](https://www.nearmedia.co/walmart-inventory-woes-customer-reviews/) - ****Near Memo episode 32:** [How B2B sales have changed forever, ApplePay stalls, can we trust FB smart glasses?](https://www.nearmedia.co/ep-32/) ## Short Takes - **FTC: Big tech acquisitions** that fell [under the antitrust radar](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/09/ftc-report-on-unreported-acquisitions-by-biggest-tech-companies?ref=nearmedia.co) (.[pdf](https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/non-hsr-reported-acquisitions-select-technology-platforms-2010-2019-ftc-study/p201201technologyplatformstudy2021.pdf?ref=nearmedia.co)). - **Enterprise search company Glean** [emerges](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrickcai/2021/09/15/glean-startup-emerges-from-stealth-enterprise-search-assistant/?ref=nearmedia.co) with $55M+ in funding. - **Core web vitals** now a clear ranking factor according to [analysis](https://www.sistrix.com/blog/core-web-vitals-is-a-measurable-ranking-factor/?ref=nearmedia.co). - **Ford and Walmart** [launching](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210915005170/en?ref=nearmedia.co) self-driven deliveries in Miami, Austin, DC. - **AT&T** [is a bad company](https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20210913/12162747555/att-hopes-youll-ignore-it-routinely-finances-terrible-politicians-doing-terrible-things.shtml?ref=nearmedia.co); they hope you won't notice. - **Google's new display campaigns** [allow more control](https://blog.google/products/ads-commerce/display-campaigns-made-easy/?ref=nearmedia.co) over automation. - Despite Delta, **retail sales** post [surprise 0.7% gain](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/16/retail-sales-unexpectedly-rise-0point7percent-in-august-vs-expected-decline-of-0point8percent.html??ref=nearmedia.co) in August. - SimilarWeb: **Shopify merchants** now [get more traffic than Amazon](https://twitter.com/taylorsicard/status/1438656556732719106?s=12&ref=nearmedia.co). - **COVID mfg. shutdowns in Vietnam** [mean](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/16/coronavirus-restrictions-retailers-reconsider-vietnam-manufacturing.html??ref=nearmedia.co) holiday retail headaches. - Bosses [are spying](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/16/tattleware-employers-spying-working-home??ref=nearmedia.co) on their WFH employees, with "**tattleware**." - **Microsoft** [goes password-free](https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2021/09/15/the-passwordless-future-is-here-for-your-microsoft-account/?ref=nearmedia.co) for selected consumer apps. - **BNPL** is booming, expanding the market for e-commerce ([WSJ](https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-is-doing-it-so-is-walmart-why-retail-loves-buy-now-pay-later-11631784601?ref=nearmedia.co)). - **Kroger, Instacart** [launch](https://risnews.com/first-look-kroger-launches-30-minute-virtual-convenience-store??ref=nearmedia.co) GoPuff virtual c-store competitor. - **Turkish antitrust case (v. Google)** on local [could have](https://www.wired.com/story/google-getting-caught-in-global-antitrust-net/?ref=nearmedia.co) int'l ripples. - Google's Area 120 [gets into newsletters](https://www.androidpolice.com/2021/09/15/googles-latest-area-120-experiment-wants-to-help-you-start-a-newsletter/?ref=nearmedia.co) with **"Museletter.**" Listen to our [latest podcast](https://www.nearmedia.co/memo/). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/03/80/0380d96d-ef7e-450e-96b3-2963e18aaab5/content/images/2021/02/near_memo_banner.png)](https://nearmedia.co/memo?ref=nearmedia.co) How can we make this better? Email [us](mailto:gsterling@nearmedia.co) with suggestions and recommendations.