This feature will cause a lot of grief in the hospitality industry. Hotel Wi-Fi connection is just one thing that may rely on the MAC address for identifying a guest. Once the device's MAC address changes, anything that used an IP address or MAC address to identify a device will be broken. Door lock access, guest device for loyalty interactions, casting content to the hotel TV, casino membership, etc. This randomized address will force developers to store additional information about a guest's device in order to keep things functional and secure. I would rather not store other information or force a user to take additional steps (re-sign into Wi-Fi, scan a QR code, tap NFC, etc.) to keep them associated with the amenities available through their account/stay. If the 24 hour refresh could be extended or optionally set to a value (1 day, 1 week, 1 month) by the user when joining a network, that would help alleviate a lot of the issues this new privacy feature will create.
Topic:
Privacy & Security
SubTopic:
General
Tags: