(wkmg)
A decade ago, in the Dreamworks movie "Minority Report," billboards spoke directly to the characters in the movie and even knew their names.

In just weeks, that science fiction plot will become reality as some businesses in Central Florida will know who you are when you walk through their door.

It's thanks to enhanced facial recognition technology.

It's not unusual to see surveillance cameras. They’re inside businesses, outside of homes, even on the streets. In public places, people are comfortable with knowing those cameras are there for safety, but this new technology allows cameras to not just see what people do, but know who they are.

Shops and malls across the country are already taking this a step further.

There are now billboards, made by Immersive Labs in Manhattan, and kiosks that cater ads to your age and demographic.

For example, if a woman was to walk up to a mall directory, a camera inside would take a photo. It will recognize her gender, age and race and instantly provide an ad for the appropriate products. So, if the shopper is a 30-year-old woman, she might see adds for makeup, shoes and clothing.

Industry expert Rafe Needleman believes it's just a matter of time before stores not only to recognize you, but track your spending habits.

“When you walk into a store, it might know who you are just when you walk in and give you deals based on past purchases,” said Needleman.

But not everyone wants to be recognized.

And the Federal Trade Commission worries about the time when technology becomes so advanced that your social media profiles are scraped for information...
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Hmmmm, scraping information from social media profiles... now who does that sound like? Oh yeah, Google, Facebook, and our own government.