Live data from Hacker News

There may be a steep privacy cost if you park here

latimes.com

81–90 of 263 posts

Re: There may be a steep privacy cost if you park here

#81
post #8
post #3

> The parking-lot attendant, he said, “let me off with a warning that I wouldn’t be so lucky next time.” So... for some old timer who pulls up without a smartphone they'll turn them away? Sounds like an empty threat to me. Edit: Should have read more before commenting, later in the article: > customers “also have the option of entering their license plate number into one of four kiosks as a means of validating their…

>So... for some old timer who pulls up without a smartphone they'll turn them away? yeah? AFAIK if you want to shop at an amazon go store, you need mobile app and a registered amazon account. We're also getting there at other places because some establishments/jurisdictions are requiring proof of vaccination (ie. signed QR code).

> We're also getting there at other places because some establishments/jurisdictions are requiring proof of vaccination (ie. signed QR code).

This is an entirely different situation from a legal and social point of view.

Re: There may be a steep privacy cost if you park here

#82

I hate tech like this. It ostensibly offers some minor convenience for the end-user, but it's really just a big data grab for whatever company implemented it. A few years ago, I went to a local Shake Shack and found they replaced their cashiers with kiosks. But placing an order requires me to give them my phone number, supposedly so they can text me when my order was ready. This should have been a very simple transac…

For companies doing this, I tend to give them the phone number of their own service desk.

When they ask for email address, I give them postmaster@hashbang.com

Re: There may be a steep privacy cost if you park here

#83
It's common in China and some parts of Europe that they just use a license plate reader camera to log the time you entered, and another one at exit

In China you just scan a QR code from a screen to pay and leave, but I think that could be replaced with a credit card reader or contactless payment.

I don't see why it requires downloading an app.

Re: There may be a steep privacy cost if you park here

#84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s a curve. What you’re saying is a true to a certain point. After that point the smart devices have created a sufficient market for dumb devices.

it depends on how much those dumb devices cost. many people are price sensitive and unaware of the privacy concerns, and the less business you have the more expensive each unit is to make, etc. Dumb TVs are the same thing. Hard to find, and surprisingly expensive for the feature set when you do find them. I don't currently own a TV but if there was a decent dumb TV that was decently affordable and wasn't garbage I mi…

Could run a shadow vlan/tablet/etc. where you do absolutely nothing personal and just use it as a UI for the subsidized IoT devices. Obviously this is serious effort right now for most people, so a mass-market shim that makes it easy for all could be a successful niche.

People love the integration of a single thing in their pocket, but maybe some are getting privacy-conscious enough to have two. Think of it like a TV remote that floats around your coffee table.

Re: There may be a steep privacy cost if you park here

#85

One of my local shopping complexes had their landlord add tolls to the previously free parking. It was all done via an incredibly shitty app that required you to set up an account and link a credit card to pay. It was slow, hard to use, and crashed a couple of times on me while I was trying to set up the account forcing me to start from scratch. They also had kiosks, but they were not working. I used to go to that sh…

Golden example or greedy landlords killing their golden goose.

Re: There may be a steep privacy cost if you park here

#86
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always put a fake number into the Shake Shack kiosk. It hasn't been a problem, since the people sacking the burgers shout out my equally fake name to pick up my order. If Shake Shack is really texting me that my order us ready, it's going to a prison pay phone a dozen states away.

I have yet to encounter a loyalty card program where local area code + Jenny's number (867-5309) wasn't registered.

This +10 (if I could). Putting in something clever (and thus probably rare, and maybe unique to you) can make it far easier for Borg-tronic Analysis, Inc. to connect all the little data dots about you. A bit of data that is common to a large number of people makes a far better poison for their dystopian wishing well.

Re: There may be a steep privacy cost if you park here

#87
post #44

I hate tech like this. It ostensibly offers some minor convenience for the end-user, but it's really just a big data grab for whatever company implemented it. A few years ago, I went to a local Shake Shack and found they replaced their cashiers with kiosks. But placing an order requires me to give them my phone number, supposedly so they can text me when my order was ready. This should have been a very simple transac…

Years ago, I was at a huge electronics store in NYC. I wanted to buy something small, maybe 30 bucks worth. The cashier won’t bill unless I gave him my phone number. I asked him why he needs my number, he said “in case you return the item”. I told him he needs the receipt, not phone number, while returning items. He didn’t budge. I didn’t want to cause a scene, so I left without purchasing. It is not just collecting…

“You need a number? Ok, +44 908 …” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premium-rate_telephone_number

I hear you though. I failed to receive a flight ticket because the airline accepted but could not use an address with a + before the @; and when I tried to use a website to prove my identity to get a local SIM after moving county, customer service claimed to only support Windows and Android and wouldn’t help me when I connected via a Mac and my phone was from Apple; and the local public transport app didn’t let me buy tickets when it was installed on an iPad, only on a phone; and a few days ago I got an invoice with “click here to pay” text, except the invoice is an image and there is no hyperlink.

Re: There may be a steep privacy cost if you park here

#88
post #20

DMV, and other gov services, in CA, as well as it seems other states, is now fully integrated with ID.me, which to me does not inspire trust. They even run a shop, https://shop.id.me/ , with store discounts and so on. So, to give all the info to such an entity is risky as hell. So, recently when I had to do something with DMV I just decided to go a little early and use the kiosks they have inside rather than use the…

> is now fully integrated with ID.me Getting a license or vehicle registration information is sold in certain states. [0]: https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/02/20/texas-dmv-selling-driver...

In California there's just a simple form and a fee to retrieve information from the DMV. If anyone does this to lookup your information, you will be notified by the state.

I highly recommend getting a PO Box or a PMB and using that as your primary address on your drivers license, for this exact reason.

In this case, you are required to also give the address you physically live at, but this information is not eligible to be shared through the above process.

Re: There may be a steep privacy cost if you park here

#89
post #68

I hate tech like this. It ostensibly offers some minor convenience for the end-user, but it's really just a big data grab for whatever company implemented it. A few years ago, I went to a local Shake Shack and found they replaced their cashiers with kiosks. But placing an order requires me to give them my phone number, supposedly so they can text me when my order was ready. This should have been a very simple transac…

This reminds me so much of how Radio Shack used to operate. I'd go there to buy some capacitors or solder, and the cashier would demand my full name, address, phone number every single time. I just said, nope, here's the cash, give me the receipt.

One of my buddy's actually had them refuse to sell him some parts. He had given them his address and all (not a confrontational person) and they denied the sale. I bought the stuff for him. I used cash and did not identify myself. I get the feeling Radio Shack had some other stuff going on.

Re: There may be a steep privacy cost if you park here

#90
post #63
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>So... for some old timer who pulls up without a smartphone they'll turn them away? yeah? AFAIK if you want to shop at an amazon go store, you need mobile app and a registered amazon account. We're also getting there at other places because some establishments/jurisdictions are requiring proof of vaccination (ie. signed QR code).

I fully expect more cities to prohibit retail establishments from refusing cash within their jurisdictions. There's precedent for it already, on grounds of discriminating against the poor.

They’ll just call it a private club. I have no problem with it. Don’t like it, don’t shop at Amazon.
Post reply on HN