An example on the site illustrates just how much Foursquare can know about the habits of an individual user. For a man aged 45-49, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Foursquare can use data about which shops, bars, and other buildings the man visits regularly to assign “personas,” which then can be used by advertisers to target the user more effectively. Because Foursquare can tell the man visited AT&T Stadium between 19:00 and 22:30, and he stopped by Harry’s Sports Bar last week, Foursquare has him pegged as a “Sports Lover.” Similarly, the man’s visit to Pepper’s Grill between 17:00 and 18:30—his second trip to the establishment this week, it notes—confirms the “Casual Diner” persona.

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