Firefly’s Approach to Data

This month, Firefly kicks off its newest city: Miami. We’re excited to be part of the fabric of such a vibrant, innovative landscape, one which is a center of commerce and home to diverse communities.

Launching in Miami in time for this year’s Super Bowl - arguably the biggest day for American advertisers - is an exciting achievement that would not be possible without the hard work of the Firefly team. We are, after all, reshaping how brands connect with consumers, driving major advancements in out-of-home advertising.

Firefly is committed to serving the communities of all the cities where we operate, and an important part of that is transparency. We recognize there is a need today for companies that collect data to be transparent so, as we continue to expand into new cities, we are taking the opportunity to clarify how Firefly powers ‘smart cities’ and how we use - and do not use - data.

What does Firefly do?

Firefly is a mobility-based communication platform that helps businesses deliver out-of-home media content through rooftop advertising displays installed on taxis and rideshare drivers’ vehicles.

In the past, this has included campaigns of all types, from the grand opening of a new retail location on New York City’s Fifth Avenue to public service announcements for a 24-hour resource hotline to help homeless people in need.

In short, we’re in the business of digital out-of-home advertising.

What data does Firefly collect from advertising displays?

Firefly collects the precise geolocation of its displays in order to optimize display of creative content on the screens based on the real-time location of the vehicle. For example, a vehicle driving near an event venue may show an advertisement for an upcoming concert.

Firefly displays also include temperature and humidity gauges, as well as accelerometers to ensure that they don’t receive undue wear and tear due to road conditions, which extends the life of our Firefly screens. This not only protects the health of the display itself, it also helps respect our drivers’ time by minimizing any need for screen service.

How does Firefly use location data?

Firefly uses location data to generate analytics to help our advertisers create better experiences, deliver their message as intended, and audit the audience for their ads. We do this by combining the location information of the displays with personal identifiers we receive lawfully from third party partners and aggregate information, such as impression data estimating the number of individuals located within viewing distance of an advertisement and sharing it with them.

We’ve also explored a number of potential uses for the location data we collect. For example, it can provide insights into traffic patterns that could be useful for city planners. We also have tested air quality sensors that, when paired with location data, could help environmental scientists and policymakers better understand local air quality conditions and their connection to tailpipe emissions at a neighborhood level. Still, neither conversation is currently in the works.

We have not moved forward with any uses of data for purposes that do not support our advertising business—including aiding in the development of autonomous vehicles. Our core business -- advertising -- is a big opportunity and requires our team’s focus to execute as we rapidly scale.

What does Firefly not do?

Firefly displays do not collect personally identifiable consumer information in any form – nor have they ever. Moreover, our displays are not equipped to collect any data specific to pedestrians or the passengers inside Firefly-enabled vehicles.

We do not sell or share any data collected from displays with government entities. The only time we have shared data with law enforcement was the time a Firefly-enabled vehicle was stolen in the Dallas area. The driver alerted us that their vehicle had been stolen and, thanks to our geolocation technology, we were able to locate the Firefly display, and thereby the stolen vehicle.

What about video and audio?

Our displays do not collect video or audio data. Moreover, they are not enabled with the technology for capturing such data.

We do need to provide advertisers estimates of the numbers of people who see Firefly displays. To accomplish this, in each city where we operate, vehicles operated by Firefly will collect video footage while driving typical routes for taxis and rideshare vehicles. Because we are not interested in identifying individual consumers, we will work with a third-party to de-identify the video footage, including blurring faces so they cannot be identified. The original raw video footage will be deleted at the end of the project and internal controls will strictly limit access to the de-identified data. This is similar to analytics software used by websites to determine the number of people who visit or view the content.

Outside of these audience audits, we do not collect any video data and we do not collect any audio data.

What is next for Firefly?

Overall, Firefly is committed to serving the communities in which we operate. To this end, we commit 10% of total advertising inventory to community organizations, local governments, and social causes through our City Partners program. Examples of partners include the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, United Way, the Ad Council, and others.

Our driver program itself helps support many drivers and their families in the communities where we operate. We’re proud to say that, to date, we’ve paid more than $3 million directly to our driver-partners.

We have no city partnerships that involve the sharing of data and none are in the works.

What is Firefly’s status in each city?

We work diligently in each city to ensure our operations will meet local regulatory requirements.

In Dallas, Chicago and San Francisco, we power both rideshare and taxi top advertising on hundreds of vehicles throughout each city.

In New York City, we power advertising on hundreds of yellow taxis throughout the city, and, in the Los Angeles area, we power rideshare advertising with hundreds of driver-partners.

Our newest city -- Miami – is launching in January 2020 with taxi top advertising.

What does the future hold for Firefly?

It’s been an exciting ride to understand how data solutions can work to support communities and brands. Firefly is focused on creating digital out-of-home experiences so that advertisers can connect with audiences where they live, work and play. For us, the future is expanding into more cities, delivering dynamic campaigns for our advertisers and city partners, and bringing additional financial opportunity to more drivers across the country.