Google’s new program to track shoppers sparks a federal privacy complaint • Hacker News Board

Re: Google’s new program to track shoppers sparks a federal privacy complaint

#131

Post by hellbanner » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 10:08 PM UTC

rifung wrote: post #117

hellbanner wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Origin comment said they didn't want data to be sold to anyone. I interpreted that to be including Google (and their other comments back it up). While I agree that because of Google's intimate symbiosis with internet, it's nice to have transparency from employees when they protect Google, I don't think the Original Comment was protecting Google. They were arguing that instead of being upset that Google can now get yo…

> They were arguing that instead of being upset that Google can now get your data, in addition to [$OTHERCORP, ...], privacy advocates should be upset that any corp is getting the data. Indeed when I said defending I didn't mean they were saying Google is right but rather moving the discussion away from having bad PR for Google, which is like defending the name of the company (even if it's justified). I admit that my…

Yes I do, and I think it's better to be too cautious when it comes to Google than not cautious enough. They are a giant.

Re: Google’s new program to track shoppers sparks a federal privacy complaint

#132

Post by QAPereo » Wed, Aug 02, 2017, 3:38 PM UTC

CivilianZero wrote: post #23

QAPereo wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or potentially worse, if they're compromised/hacked in some way and that data simply enters the wild ecosystem.

I still can't see why I should care if some stranger has my purchase history. I suppose some people might feel weird letting strangers or anyone know what they buy, but that's an argument for the ability to opt-out, not for filing a complaint with an agency or starting a lawsuit.

It really depends on what's in your purchase history, where you live what, job you have, that kind of thing. I certainly wouldn't want to coming out I enjoyed a drink every now and then in Saudi Arabia, and I might want to hide my propensity to smoke cannabis from my boss. Finally there's just the notion that I might not want to be relentlessly marketed to by increasingly sophisticated algorithms, because sometimes it works and people end up buying things they wouldn't otherwise. As these techniques get better I'm sure that will continue to be a problem which only grows, and the data harvested today isn't going anywhere.

Re: Google’s new program to track shoppers sparks a federal privacy complaint

#133

Post by ksk » Wed, Aug 02, 2017, 4:52 PM UTC

DannyBee wrote: post #68

belltaco wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be nice if commenters like you added a disclaimer that you work for Google in comments that hand wave away Google's privacy issues.

I've made very clear when i speak for Google and when I don't, and i pretty much never do (except on some licensing issues). If you want official statements from me, go elsewhere. If you want HN to be a place of real discussion and debate, it's stupid to try to tie people to their companies. I think very different from my company on quite a lot of issues, and i happily point that at too. To your point, however, I did…

>If you want HN to be a place of real discussion and debate, it's stupid to try to tie people to their companies.

>a random PR release by an organization devoted to lobbying on certain issues just doesn't bug me or make me care.

How ironic that you are trying to diminish this article by calling it a "random PR release" by a "lobbying organization".

Perhaps someone who didn't work at Google might call them a "privacy watchdog" looking out for consumers.

>just doesn't bug me or make me care.

Well, you cared enough to comment.

Re: Google’s new program to track shoppers sparks a federal privacy complaint

#134

Post by CivilianZero » Wed, Aug 02, 2017, 5:15 PM UTC

jancsika wrote: post #114

CivilianZero wrote: post #8

Try as I might, I just can't be bothered to care if someone wants to know what I've been buying so they can show me advertisements relevant to my interests. But I'm weird, I don't think advertising is inherently evil or annoying.

> [...] so they can show me advertisements relevant to my interests. That's the benefit to you. The other is that the business model supports the Google services you use. The perfunctory question is: what are the costs to you and everyone else? The question that piques my interest: why do you assume there aren't costs, or that the costs are negligible? Why does your belief that an institution isn't evil or annoying m…

Because all evidence I've seen is either sensationalized and based on emotion: "Oh no! My privacy!"

Or...I haven't seen any evidence there is a noticeable cost to me as a person?

Re: Google’s new program to track shoppers sparks a federal privacy complaint

#135

Post by stordoff » Mon, Aug 07, 2017, 5:21 AM UTC

drusepth wrote: post #127

chimen wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Europe? You need to be more specific than that. I find it hard to believe what you say and I live in eastern europe (Romania). I don't have any problem paying with cards here. It's an actual european law that asks the merchants to accept credit cards.

Sorry for being vague; just left it "europe" since I've moved around a bit since getting here. I'm currently in Croatia, where it seems only restaurants and some grocery stores frequently take cards; I paid for an invoice at a local bank (Raiffeisenbank) yesterday that only took cash, which I thought was hilariously ironic. For what it's worth, my stay in Iceland (3 months) was absolutely fantastic when it came to ta…

> Likewise in England (Sheffield, 3 months) many vendors only took cash, and were mightily confused by American cards (especially one requiring pin + signature).

Do you remember where? I live in Sheffield, and I'm having a hard time thinking of anywhere I would have an issue paying by card.