Overview
Follow this article to learn about current product and feature restrictions related to the use of mobile GPS data within Buxton and Audiense products and solutions.
Certain jurisdictions restrict or limit the use of precise geolocation data. To remain compliant with evolving privacy regulations, Buxton and Audiense have updated how mobile GPS data is used within supported products and reporting workflows in Maryland, Oregon, and Virginia.
These changes are designed to maintain regulatory compliance while continuing to provide valuable analytics and insights wherever possible.
Some jurisdictions restrict or limit the use of precise geolocation data. To remain compliant, Buxton has updated how certain products use mobile GPS data in these areas. The following article summarizes feature and product limitations.
Note: Updates related to Virginia restrictions are scheduled to begin rolling out on June 18, 2026, with all changes expected to be fully in place by July 1, 2026. Some product functionality may be adjusted earlier as deployments are completed in phases.
States With Mobile GPS Data Restrictions
The following states currently have product limitations related to the use of precise mobile GPS data:
Maryland
Oregon
Virginia
These restrictions impact how mobile GPS data can be used to associate visits, businesses, households, and trade area behaviors within supported products.
Please note that study areas in neighboring states that typically receive significant traffic from Maryland, Oregon, or Virginia residents may also experience shifts in trade area, visitor behavior, or household characteristic results due to excluded GPS-based household data.
How Existing Analytics Are Impacted
Previously completed reports and deliverables remain available.
However, products or workflows that require ongoing mobile GPS data processing will exclude restricted-state data moving forward. Where applicable, alternative methodologies or aggregated market averages may be used in place of restricted GPS data.
Products and Features With Mobile GPS Data Limitations
Alert:
Alert Reports: Alert reports exclude locations from:
Maryland
Oregon
Virginia
Match:
Match Reports: Match reports are disabled in:
Maryland
Oregon
Virginia
Benchmark Options:
Locations from Maryland, Oregon, and Virginia are excluded from benchmark options.
Mobilytics:
Mobilytics Reports: Mobilytics reports are disabled in:
Maryland
Oregon
Virginia
Trade Area and Visitor Behavior Data:
Visits from known households located in Maryland, Oregon, or Virginia are excluded from:
Trade area analysis
Household characteristics
Visitor behavior reporting
This also applies to reports generated for other states when visitors originate from restricted states.
SCOUT
Shopping Center Insights Reports: Shopping Center Insights Report results are disabled in:
Maryland
Oregon
Virginia
SCOUT Info Windows: The following metrics are excluded from Info Windows within restricted states:
Brand rank
Visit counts
Visit percentages
Refreshes to Observed Customer Profiles: Refreshes of observed customer profiles no longer use mobile GPS data from Maryland, Oregon, or Virginia. Instead, profiles are generated using:
Data from other permitted states
First-party customer data, when provided with the appropriate notices and required consent
Refreshes to Observed Trade Areas: Refreshes of observed location-level trade areas no longer use mobile GPS data from restricted states. Instead, Buxton uses averages derived from other permitted markets.
Refreshes to Observed Customer Households: Refreshes of observed customer households are not supported in:
Maryland
Oregon
Virginia
Organizations may still visualize modeled potential households based on customer profiles and upload first-party customer data for customer visualization workflows
Audiense Product Impacts
Audiense Action: Action results exclude locations from:
Virginia
Additional restrictions may apply in other regulated jurisdictions where GPS limitations are already enforced.
Audiense Enrich: Certain intent data append workflows for contacts based in Virginia may:
Be unavailable
Use alternative methodologies instead of mobile GPS-derived data
Other Custom Tools
Custom tools and deliverables that use mobile GPS data as an input also exclude restricted-state data.
This may include:
Custom site scoring models
Custom reports
Location intelligence workflows
Other GPS-based analytical models
Any restricted-state data originating from Maryland, Oregon, or Virginia will be excluded from these workflows.
Have Questions?
If you have questions about how these changes may affect your organization, workflows, or reporting, contact your Buxton or Audiense account representative for additional guidance and support.