Tracking on cell phones, Safeway Cards...etc.

[Quickie]

I have been in a couple discussions on here about rights and choices that we have in this country. I have been thinking a lot lately about the "tracking" on many new cell phones. I remember the uproar when Safeway came out with their club card and the invasion many think using that card has on their privacy. Tracking their purchases. And now the Apple I phone with its tracking ability not disclosed told to consumers.

I'm starting to have second thoughts on all this "tracking".

[Papazita]

I work for a large retail establishment that offers an employee discount card, among other benefits like health insurance. Would I put it past them to dig up data on an employee's food purchases in order to determine the employee's dietary habits, then pass that info along to the insurance company so that it can deny coverage for the employee's recent heart attack, thereby saving both companies a few dollars?

No I would not.

[Linas]

[Papazita]

[PSPookie]

The shopping club cards are only supposed to be used for gathering aggregate (not individual) data. I suspect they adhere to this policy since the amount of data processing required to do individual alalyses for each shopper would be prohibitive.

Also, I'm pretty sure they're not tracking me individually because I took the card but never returned the form with my personal info.

[Jim Nazium]

Originally Posted by PSPookie

The shopping club cards are only supposed to be used for gathering aggregate (not individual) data. I suspect they adhere to this policy since the amount of data processing required to do individual alalyses for each shopper would be prohibitive.

That's what they WANT you to think.

[PSPookie]

Originally Posted by Jim Nazium

That's what they WANT you to think.

And Gordon Moore is behind it all

[elgecko]

You have the choice/right to not use any phone and not join any shopping club you suspect may be tracking you.

[Quickie]

Originally Posted by elgecko

You have the choice/right to not use any phone and not join any shopping club you suspect may be tracking you.

This is true...but then you don't get the convenience of said product. In Safeways example you actually loose money. I have saved 60-70 dollars using that card in one shopping session.

Think of the families that have kids.....they have substantial savings.

[TheSuzie]

Originally Posted by PSPookie

Also, I'm pretty sure they're not tracking me individually because I took the card but never returned the form with my personal info.

If the card has an RFID chip and your credit card(s) or clothing, devices and other things you carry and bought with a credit or debit card have a chip, all these items can quickly be linked to your identity the moment you walk through one of the many hidden RFID scanners in retail establishments and other public places.

With today's tech it is really easy to track individuals and their possessions.

Peace,
S

[elgecko]

Originally Posted by Quickie

This is true...but then you don't get the convenience of said product. In Safeways example you actually loose money. I have saved 60-70 dollars using that card in one shopping session.

Think of the families that have kids.....they have substantial savings.

You don't get something for nothing. There are plenty of stores with lower prices than Safeway and no clubs.

[PSPookie]

Originally Posted by TheSuzie

If the card has an RFID chip and your credit card(s) or clothing, devices and other things you carry and bought with a credit or debit card have a chip, all these items can quickly be linked to your identity the moment you walk through one of the many hidden RFID scanners in retail establishments and other public places.

With today's tech it is really easy to track individuals and their possessions.

Peace,
S

Not if they don't know who I am

Originally Posted by elgecko

You don't get something for nothing.

Nope, you get a discount for allowing them to track your spending habbits.

[TheSuzie]

Originally Posted by PSPookie

Not if they don't know who I am

Are you saying that you never carry anything that can be tracked to you? Did you pay cash for your cell phone/service and all your clothing (much clothing has chips embedded with individual ID capabilities). Do you carry any cards or ID that may have a chip? All you have to do is pass by a scanner with one identifiable item and everything else picked up in the scan can then be linked to your identity.

Of course if there is also a camera, facial recognition can also link your ID to anything picked up in a concurrent scan.

S

[L-A]

Can I state the obvious? If you're getting something for free or at a discount, then you are the product being sold.

[Thor]

Search something on Google. Buy something on Amazon.

Reread 1984 and Brave New World. Then read The Humanoids
by Jack Williamson.

[MJ5150]

Track me all you want, follow my purchase patterns, keep track of what I eat. I'm glad to know someone is paying attention to that, I sure ain't.

All I need now is for one company to take the lead on all this tracking, then give me a monthly fee to pay them, and in turn they can deliver weekly everything they know I need.

-Mike

[L-A]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

Track me all you want, follow my purchase patterns, keep track of what I eat. I'm glad to know someone is paying attention to that, I sure ain't.

All I need now is for one company to take the lead on all this tracking, then give me a monthly fee to pay them, and in turn they can deliver weekly everything they know I need.

-Mike

Actually, our local grocery store mails us rebates on the stuff we regularly buy. It's really cool compared to the usual "we don't want this in our store anymore" coupon.

[SMILEYSIXX]

I dislike it... too "big brother" for me. Not to mention the inherent problems of technology. My dad tracks my phone and it told him I was in the backwoods of our town when I was at band practice. He got pissed at me because my phone failed to properly track me.

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

Get two cards. Buy healthy stuff with one, and booze, potato chips, tobacco, and ice cream with the other.

[tastybasslines]

The purpose of the grocery store cards is not so much to track you, but to help them figure out EXACTLY where the optimum price for a specific item lies. If more people buy an "club" price item at a lower price, they calculate the additional revenue created, minus the lost revenue of the higher price. It's all about pricing efficiency. They find the perfect "sweet spot" for pretty much every item in the store. They can help get rid of excess inventory or a slow selling item, but this is not these card's primary purpose.

Using those cards only nets you and all of us higher prices overall, in fact, the highest possible price they can get away with.