Ways people exchange privacy for convenience...

[jehnx]

Heya folks,

I'm still writing my paper that I talked about a couple of months ago, and I'm looking for ideas on how people normally exchange privacy for convenience. For example, I have the following:

Frequent Flyer programs on airplanes - you get "rewards" (convenience) in exchange for their tracking your flights (giving up privacy).

Amazon.com and its "recommended items" bit - getting nice, fun recommendations to what you would likely enjoy (convenience) in exchange for your enabling of cookies to use Amazon's site, enabling them to track you (giving up privacy).

So, I guess you get the idea... do any of you have any examples that I might include in my paper that goes along these same lines? I've got a lot so far.. too many to list here.. but do give me any input you might have, even if it seems very obvious.

Thanks in advance!

[foxyloxley]

those 'loyalty' cards that the supermarkets and petrol stations give out
you get 'points' for each purchase
they get to build up a profile on you and your shopping / driving habits

not to mention the CC industry
and all the data they get in exchange for giving us easy credit

[Relyt]

Good Day

Providing your email addee for acquiring almost any gizmo, pretty soon you have 30 different ways
to enlarge your penis.

Accepting site cookies can be as huge as the membership cards that Foxy mentioned, and obviously
track your habits as well.

Sending in for your rebates, obviously you must provide your snail mail address. I'm starting to receive
tons of junk mail that we weren't receiving before.

cheers

[foxyloxley]

to follow on :
RFID has one other effect
in that it is possible to track the goods once they have left the shop

not only your shopping habits, but your driving too

Entering competitions
you get a [very small] chance of winning big
they get all the details they require by making thm part of the 'required' section on the forms

[jehnx]

Super, thank you guys so much for the ideas... I didn't have a few of these in my example list, so this is proving very helpful.

Anyone else who has more to input, feel free to.

[Egaladeist]

Hi jehnx,

Well...giving out your personal information to forums like this one...

or to sites like Paypal...Google Adsense...ISP...telephone, electric, cable, gas company, etc...

health cards, library cards, social security number ( and on job applications ) even if you don't get the job...

Eg

[rider_royal]

How about free 'home delivery' by shops?? or even pizza delivery (mmmm :-) )

[Synja]

Yeah... last time I went to pizzahut.com, they asked me if I would like to place the same order as last time.


The man is tryin to keep me down so he can shove an RFID device up my ass.


(I said no, then unknowingly ordered the exact same thing)

[Spyrus]

I don't know if this applies or if anything is done with the information but all cellular phones in the US have GPS units in them that give out information if you have the access to them.

On a non conspiracy side. The website that was flying around on here for a while about getting a started pack from the NSA was used for trending information. I believe a certain member here could attest to that.

The keycard you get at a gym tracks when you come and go. Also all the free magazines I receive based on the title I have at work or the one I signed up for that turned into 10 different weekly magazines.

Edit:

I forgot to mention the lil service warranty cards that come with your electronics, if you fill those out and turn them in they track that crap too, or if you purchase one from the store... Need I mention when you go get an oil change and they track all your info too?

[nihil]

I would suggest that most "season tickets" have this effect. the convenience is being able to go straight in and pay less per visit, but you have to provide personal data and your usage is monitored.

This would include things like museums, parks, sports stadiums (spectator), theatres, cinemas and so on.

Some public transport season tickets where you go through an automatic barrier.

Old Aged Pensioners' discount cards. Same thing would go for student's union cards and the like.