This comment is meant to get an interesting conversation instead of "mastercard bad" or whatever. Would the EFF feel any differently if the data were pseudo-anonymous and open to everyone? You can go to SteamDB.info and learn a lot about millions of people based on what games they buy. It's a psuedo-anonymous per-user purchase history. Here's mine: https://steamdb.info/calculator/76561197975362423/?cc=us . You can lo…
Absolutely not. Pseudo-anoymous can still be traced back with the right correlations. It should just be illegal to use customer data unless they explicitly agree. It's not even about harm. It's about having a right to privacy. And this is not some computer games we're talking about. It's our whole lives.
But perhaps go further?
> It should just be illegal to use customer data unless they explicitly agree.
Should you be able to use customers data for any purpose whatsoever except in the delivery of goods and services that define your business?
There are edge cases, of course. But it is not edge cases that matter.
Giving permission is problematic. How do you know if you have genuine permission?
Her in New Zealand I think (IANAL) that if the other side of a major contract (like a house purchase) does not get independent legal advice then it is very difficult to enforce the contract in any way other that buy/sell.
Other conditions, idiosyncratic ones, cannot be enforced.