MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies • Hacker News Board

Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies

#41

Post by dawnerd » Mon, Mar 05, 2018, 10:39 PM UTC

slg wrote: post #22

MoviePass announced their their new, improved, and unrestricted plans in August. We all knew the $10 a month plan was not going to be profitably by itself. In the last week they have started blocking out specific movies, requiring some users to provide photographic proof of their ticket purchases, and bragged about collecting data outside what is described in their TOS. This is after already locking out customers fro…

> they have started blocking out specific movies

This was always part of the terms from day one. Shouldn't surprise anyone.

Also while not specifically noted in the terms, it should be assumed they'd track your location since it spells out that you can only miss/walk out of a movie (if I remember correctly) once a month.

Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies

#42

Post by sgroppino » Mon, Mar 05, 2018, 10:40 PM UTC

technofiend wrote: post #16

Load app - present ticket - uninstall app.

It's getting close to a point where you should just bundle all of these apps onto an old android phone and use it just ad-hoc when you absolutely need them.

Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies

#43

Post by olympus » Mon, Mar 05, 2018, 10:40 PM UTC

sp332 wrote: post #7

product50 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On Android, that is not a setting you get.

An Android, it also asks for permission to read all your photos and you can't use the app if you don't accept. I only run the app on an old iPhone I had lying around for that reason.

I know that you didn't go out and buy the iPhone just for this purpose, but dang, this might be the pinnacle of modern consumerism. "I have a spare smartphone to use for apps that I don't want on my main smartphone."

Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies

#44

Post by EggsOnToast » Mon, Mar 05, 2018, 10:41 PM UTC

JustAnotherPat wrote: post #34

slg wrote: post #22

MoviePass announced their their new, improved, and unrestricted plans in August. We all knew the $10 a month plan was not going to be profitably by itself. In the last week they have started blocking out specific movies, requiring some users to provide photographic proof of their ticket purchases, and bragged about collecting data outside what is described in their TOS. This is after already locking out customers fro…

still worth it

This was my feeling too. I don't want to live in a world where everyone is expected to freely give away their data, but if I can do it voluntarily to get get a deal as good as MoviePass then that's a win/win to me. It's $15 for just -one- ticket in my area. MoviePass has been a game changer for me.

Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies

#45

Post by jnnnthnn » Mon, Mar 05, 2018, 10:41 PM UTC

whoisjuan wrote: post #28

Any app that asks for your location can and will track you. This is so lucrative that Foursquare pivoted the whole company around the concept of location data as a service ( https://enterprise.foursquare.com/ ). Fortunately, you just need to revoke the permission (or don't grant it in the first place) if you want to avoid being tracked. If you're concerned about this, I'd definitely suggest doing a quick check of the…

One thing that is clever about MoviePass, is that in order to use their membership, one must have location services activated at least for a brief instant every time they are going to the movie. Indeed, you need to “check in” in the app when you’re within a 100 yard radius of the theater in order to be able to charge the ticket price to the MoviePass-provided payment card. Odds are, most people won’t want (or remember) to turn location services on and off every time they purchase a ticket.

Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies

#46

Post by apotheothesomai » Mon, Mar 05, 2018, 10:41 PM UTC

lghh wrote: post #15

I'm really over trying to fight companies on this on an app-by-app basis. If we want this to stop, it has to be through legislation. Either we allow companies to do it and stop acting shocked when it happens, or we legislate the possibility away.

Well, the government benefits from scarcely regulated data gatherers. While the law doesn't seem to matter these days, the government has long used the data of private companies which it can't legally collect.

Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies

#47

Post by pashabitz » Mon, Mar 05, 2018, 10:42 PM UTC

Yes, this is kinda annoying and yes, we're losing our privacy little by little but please, give me a break with the fake bewilderment. It's an explicit permission (on iOS at least) to use GPS when you're not in an app. This journalist is in total shock that the app actually uses this permission to try to make money. Come on.

Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies

#48

Post by asdsa5325 » Mon, Mar 05, 2018, 10:42 PM UTC

lghh wrote: post #29

ibdf wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know why everyone is always so shocked. People want smart devices/services that understand them. Where do you think the data comes from? From you!

I don't need MoviePass to understand me. I want MoviePass to take my money and give me movie tickets.

Which isn't profitable. If you want MoviePass to exist, they need another source of revenue...

Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies

#49

Post by brlewis » Mon, Mar 05, 2018, 10:43 PM UTC

comboy wrote: post #26

lghh wrote: post #15

I'm really over trying to fight companies on this on an app-by-app basis. If we want this to stop, it has to be through legislation. Either we allow companies to do it and stop acting shocked when it happens, or we legislate the possibility away.

I prefer non-legislative way. Mobile OSes are already doing something towards this. Notification warning like "app X is using your GPS" - even though it's closed or even though your screen is off. Or only allowing GPS usage while the app is on your screen. I don't think many people care though. And even if you disagree on that, I think it should be their right to sell their privacy for convenience if they want to.

Mobile OSes and web APIs should have distinct permissions for foreground location data and background location data. I'll gladly give my current location in exchange for temporary convenience, but the way it works now I have to give my location away from now until such time as I uninstall the app or jump through the hoops necessary to revoke permission.

Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies

#50

Post by drak0n1c » Mon, Mar 05, 2018, 10:45 PM UTC

lghh wrote: post #15

I'm really over trying to fight companies on this on an app-by-app basis. If we want this to stop, it has to be through legislation. Either we allow companies to do it and stop acting shocked when it happens, or we legislate the possibility away.

Should the government also ban the possibility of ad-supported websites? Technology costs money and if there is a way to subsidize or remove the cost faced by consumers that isn't always a bad thing.

Transparency of "this is how we are able to provide you a free app/service" could be improved, though.