>It sure isn’t in the company’s privacy policy
What they are doing is illegal in the state of California.
MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies
131–140 of 233 posts
Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies
#132Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 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.
The only thing that should surprise anyone is if Moviepass is still in business in 2019.
Exactly why Im making the most out of my subscription while I can. I can see it either going away or prices going way up. There have been talks and rumors from their surveys and tos updates that they will eventually offer more expensive plans for premium showings and family plans.
Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies
#133Earlier quoted context omitted.
That doesn't seem the least bit reasonable to me. Especially if it's doing it without informing me.
If they ask for your permission to use your pictures and you give it, it shouldn't matter what they're doing. You could've said no and opted to not use their service.
It very much can and does matter. Asking for access to my photos so I can send one through a messaging service is hugely different than simply wanting to suck up all data about me.
I cannot wait until the US gets a privacy law like the new EU one. Then they would have to absolutely justify why they're collecting that.
Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies
#134They will DEFINITELY run into trouble with Apple's app store policy. Apple doesn't outright ban apps that do this but they have to clearly state what they do when requesting location services permissions. There is a string called "app explanation" that has to state what they will use it for. Theirs says:
"Find Theaters and movies near you, and be able to use the app to get tickets and the theaters."[1]
There's nothing about tracking you outside of that purpose. Nothing about your drive to the theater, nothing about where you go after. So if they're doing that or start doing that, they should and probably will get kicked out of the app store.
Having said that, I wonder if this is true for their iOS version or just Android. The privacy policy in their TOS is probably sufficiently vague to pass legal muster.[2]
[1] On iOS go to Settings > Location Services > MoviePass
[2] "we ask you to supply us with personal information so that we can provide, enhance and personalize our services and marketing efforts" https://www.moviepass.com/privacy/
Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies
#135Yes, 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.
And it doesn't even ask for the background location permission, so unless it has magical superpowers, it isn't going to be able to track you unless have the app open.
This is a really bad article, and I am shocked, just shocked, to see reporting of such poor quality on TechCrunch.
Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies
#136MoviePass 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…
Yep... it did sound unfeasible. This is sad, cause it's a matter of pricing. At $20 it's still worth it.
In Paris, there is a subscription that lets you access 75% of theaters (2 big chains and most independent theaters) for 20ish euros a month. A normal ticket is 10 euros. This has existing for 10+ years, and they didn't need a tracking app...
Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies
#137Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unfortunately apps don’t care. Waze lingers up to 40 minute after traveling in the background and that’s with supposed in app only mode.
Unless I'm mistaken they don't have access to your location while running in the background. Running != access to location.
GPS mapping apps can enter into an “active backgrounder” mode, where the app is active in the background.
It is one of the few app categories that can do that; the other is VOIP.
Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies
#138Any 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…
I will never understand why people leave Location Services on all the time. I don't even install apps that request location when it isn't necessary for my needs (active geolocation, like mapping if I'm lost, hikes, and such). For Moviepass, and for the rare cases where I am lost or really need active directions, I turn Location services on. Then, it gets immediately shut off. (Similarly, I keep Bluetooth and NFC off…
People have different valuations. I turn on Location Timeline and allow Google to record my location 24x7, because I find it useful to be able to know where I was any arbitrary day or time.
Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies
#139I'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.
Rare is the problem that legislation actually solves. And People don't want to pay for apps with money, they "just want them". So they pay with their data. The problem here isn't with the transaction, the problem is people are in the dark with what they are actually paying with. Companies are allowed to do this. Their TOS protects them.
Rare is the problem that legislation actually solves.
And
That's it - a sweeping statement about a giant topic, and move on to the next line of argumentation...
You can't think of at least a dozen laws off the top of your head that protect your health or life personally?
Re: MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before and after movies
#140Earlier quoted context omitted.
Rare is the problem that legislation actually solves. And People don't want to pay for apps with money, they "just want them". So they pay with their data. The problem here isn't with the transaction, the problem is people are in the dark with what they are actually paying with. Companies are allowed to do this. Their TOS protects them.
Rare is the problem that legislation actually solves. And That's it - a sweeping statement about a giant topic, and move on to the next line of argumentation... You can't think of at least a dozen laws off the top of your head that protect your health or life personally?
nope.