Understanding Our Privacy-First Approach to Analytics
Overview #
When reviewing GoodMaps analytics, you’ll notice we measure usage – not user counts. This deliberate choice reflects our early design philosophy: prioritizing privacy, ensuring compliance, and equipping partners with meaningful operational insights. While many digital systems focus on counting unique users, for indoor navigation, usage data provides deeper value – revealing how venues function while inherently protecting privacy and simplifying compliance.
Privacy by Design from the Start #
At GoodMaps, we recognized early on that indoor navigation systems must handle location data responsibly. When someone uses GoodMaps, their position is processed only briefly to deliver real‑time guidance. Our system was therefore designed around privacy principles – data protection built in from the start, not added later. Consequently, analytics are structured to minimize personal data by default, ensuring that only essential, aggregated information is provided.
Preventing Data Correlation Risks #
Venues often collect other environmental data such as CCTV, access control logs, or Wi‑Fi activity which – if combined with identifiable analytics – could enable re-identification of individuals. By excluding personal identifiers from our analytics, GoodMaps removes that possibility. This approach meets the latest technical and ethical standards for data protection.
Complying with Global Privacy Regulations #
Laws like the GDPR require organizations to collect only what’s necessary, retain it briefly, and process data proportionately. GoodMaps meets these standards through session‑based analytics that provide only aggregated usage metrics – never individual data.
Lightening the Compliance Load #
Our privacy‑first model keeps things simple for venue operators. Because no personal data is shared, partners avoid:
- Data protection impact assessments
- Consent banners or opt‑in popups
- Personal data storage policies
- Complex data‑sharing agreements
- GDPR access requests
- New controller responsibilities
The result: easier compliance and built‑in user protection.
Why Usage Tells the True Story #
GoodMaps’ analytics mirror how physical infrastructure is evaluated: by usage, not by counting unique users.
The physical infrastructure parallel:
- Signage: If one traveler reads fifty signs to reach a gate, each sign serves its purpose. Counting one user would understate the system’s true value.
- Kiosks: A visitor might consult several kiosks across a journey. Each interaction adds value, and usage totals reflect this.
- Elevators and doors: Facilities track frequency of use for maintenance and planning, not to follow specific individuals.
Why User Counts Can Mislead #
If analytics counted only “one user” interacting with three kiosks, it would suggest that only one was needed – an incorrect conclusion. Usage data, by contrast, reflects how access points function in real scenarios. Venues need to understand how spaces are used, not just how many people go through them. Usage insights reveal traffic patterns, demand hotspots, and guidance needs in ways user counts cannot.
Technical Implementation & Benefits #
GoodMaps achieves this through:
- Session-based processing: Each navigation session stands alone.
- Aggregate analytics: Reports focus on activity frequencies, not identities.
- Privacy-centered architecture: No persistence between sessions.
This ensures analytics that are useful for planning yet fundamentally protective of privacy. Venue partners gain robust insights – without the risk, effort, or liability associated with managing personal information.
Conclusion #
GoodMaps’ choice to measure usage, not users, reflects our dedication to privacy, operational clarity, and regulatory alignment. Users’ privacy is protected automatically; there are no settings or consent steps to worry about. Venues benefit from straightforward compliance, free from managing personal data. And analytics become more insightful, highlighting patterns of engagement that align with how real-world infrastructure is evaluated.
After all, if one person reads fifty signs, that doesn’t mean forty-nine signs were wasted – it shows your wayfinding system worked exactly as designed.
By prioritizing usage metrics, GoodMaps delivers analytics that illuminate how spaces function, protecting everyone’s data and confidence.