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

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

#221

Post by DrScump »

dionidium wrote: post #207
z_open wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The pros you get are a luxury, while the cons are an infringement on our privacy. We're at the point where you sharing your data harms everyone else. For example, if there are 1000 people in a population and 999 willing share all data on themselves, the last holdout doesn't need to offer his data. They can already derive it from based on everyone else's.

cons are an infringement on our privacy. You have to explain why I'm supposed to care that MoviePass knows where I am when I'm near a theater (i.e. why is this a con ). You're acting like this is obvious, but it's not. All your work is ahead of you.

  MoviePass knows where I am when I'm near a theater
That's not the risk -- Moviepass knows you are there at that time simply by your usage metrics.

The problem is that (1) other apps have Location access while you have Location services on if you have ever granted that privilege, including only at install time, and (2) few people have the presence of mind to turn Location on and back off promptly so that it's only on when the user is conscious of it.

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

#222

Post by chiefalchemist »

s73v3r_ wrote: post #96
chiefalchemist wrote: post #52

A monthly subscription cost for "unlimited" movies priced lower than the price of a single movie? Mind you, my mum wouldn't understand that at that point she's the product. However, the ol' "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" is something everyone should know. I don't agree with MoviePass' approach - which is the reason I haven't subscribed - but unless it's blatantly illegal I think it's safe to presu…

I think that's the thing people are upset about: Many of these deceptive practices are not illegal, and probably should be. The EU has a good start with their new data privacy legislation; the US needs to adopt that.

They're upset because...they're getting something for next to nothing (in terms of hard dollars)?

Should there be more transparency? Sure.

But even so, being naive is only going to manifest itself somewhere else. The Nanny State will never win that race.

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

#223

Post by s73v3r_ »

chiefalchemist wrote: post #222
s73v3r_ wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that's the thing people are upset about: Many of these deceptive practices are not illegal, and probably should be. The EU has a good start with their new data privacy legislation; the US needs to adopt that.

They're upset because...they're getting something for next to nothing (in terms of hard dollars)? Should there be more transparency? Sure. But even so, being naive is only going to manifest itself somewhere else. The Nanny State will never win that race.

"They're upset because...they're getting something for next to nothing (in terms of hard dollars)?"

That's a rather disingenuous way of putting it.

"The Nanny State"

That's an even more disingenuous way of putting things.

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

#224

Post by leetcrew »

vorpalhex wrote: post #214
beagle3 wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Theatres will have to find some other way to draw crowds, or they will be replaced by stores and restaurants that make more money per unit area. I suspect if they do find some other way, it will be based on some relatively new technology (perhaps already existing, like smartphones, or up-and-coming like some kind of AR), or it would have happened already. I've been trying to thing of a movie theatre / lan party combo…

There's a theater chain in my area that is always crowded and does really well: Alamo Drafthouse. Their pitch? Pretty much comes down to good service including food and cocktails, at low prices, and a no-noise policy. You buy a ticket ahead of time picking your exact seats. Tickets are about $11. The pre-show instead of being ads are usually short videos or clips from earlier movies. Food is around $12-16 an entree,…

> You buy a ticket ahead of time picking your exact seats.

the whole package sounds great, but I would be sold on this detail alone. I hate having to choose between sitting in the theater for 30-45 mins and getting a bad seat at popular films.

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

#225

Post by jrnichols »

lumberingjack wrote: post #176
murukesh_s wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"lack of crowds at theaters" > I am also not a crowd lover, i too love it when visiting not so popular theaters where i could stretch myself in between the movie, but sad thing is it won't last long isn't it.. either the theatre closes down or the maintenance goes really low it starts to stink..

That is strange to me. For me there is no other feeling like enjoying a movie with hundreds of strangers. Everyone laughing at the same time, people choking back tears, the "class clown" that hoots and hollers at the appropriate time. When the local theater started serving dinner and beer my friends and I became regulars again. Maybe it's just a nostalgic Oregon Trail Generation thing?

I like those things too, except for the crying baby and teens that won't put their bright cell phones away.

those are the things that keep me out of theaters. it was happening often enough to be an issue. (larger city)

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

#226

Post by paulcole »

s73v3r_ wrote: post #217
paulcole wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Asking for access to my photos so I can send one through a messaging service MoviePass is not a messaging service though. If they ask permission for your photos and you give it, you live with the consequences. Or you value your privacy more than MoviePass and choose to not use the service.

No. That is not a response; that is not a rebuttal; that is a nothing comment. You have added less than nothing to the conversation.

Thank you for the kind words.

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

#227

Post by mijowi »

rimliu wrote: post #172
mijowi wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I too choose privacy and battery life over the convenience of leaving location on all the time.

With a motion coprocessors (Apple's M7-11) there is not that much battery drain.

Oh that's cool, but I have an Android. GPS drains the battery.

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

#228

Post by EGreg »

lsaferite wrote: post #202
EGreg wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I met both the CEO and their investor recently at a conference where they presented. Both are very happy with the growth and the revenues. They are currently breaking even, as their models predicted. Even paying full price for each ticket. Their innovation was getting Mastercard to issue and process their own card, so the movie theaters can't block them without violating Mastercard policy! Now their next plans are to…

Didn't Uber stop tracking after dropoff? https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/08/uber-to-stop-tra...

I think these guys will, too.

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

#229

Post by Sylos »

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.

> And even if you disagree on that, I think it should be their right to sell their privacy for convenience if they want to.

Then it also has to be a right to not sell your privacy for convencience.

Clearly communicate that you do sell my data to bolster your revenue and give me an option to pay more instead.

It's not a legitimate business model to simply not tell me that you're selling my data and then magically have lower prices.

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

#230

Post by salvar »

s73v3r_ wrote: post #88
EggsOnToast wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure why your tone is so hostile when I was just asking a clarifying question. More to your point, I don't see what part of the ToS you found especially convoluted, but since your estimate about the length is so exaggerated I doubt you actually read it. The wording was boring but clear and its formatting wasn't particularly mysterious either. If your point is more generally that we shouldn't be able to just s…

"what's your alternative that doesn't destroy the ability of online businesses to engage in these kinds of agreements?" Why should we care about preserving one of the worst business practices of recent times?

Maybe not everyone shares your view that this is "one of the worst business practices of recent times"?
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