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There may be a steep privacy cost if you park here

latimes.com

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

#31

Post by encryptluks2 »

lostcolony wrote: post #14
encryptluks2 wrote: post #5

The worst offender I've seen is Xfinity/Comcast. Recently cancelled service, never got a notice and multiple incorrect bills after canceling. Anytime I would talk you customer service, they would always say... "If you want to see your correct bill, then you have to download the app." I continually would have to tell them that I'm not downloading their damn app and that they are big enough that they can have the corre…

And Trump and the Republicans decided to give large ISPs a massive corporate tax break just the prior term, as well as remove a lot of pro consumer regulation re: the FCC, in that case. What's the point of the political commentary?

If I recall, the billion dollar subsidies that were stolen and never used to expand broadband were given out on the Democrats' watch previously, and again this time. So, the whataboutism is not really necessary here. However, if you want to go that route—there is nothing stopping Democrats from declaring Internet a public utility and targeting the ISP monopolies, but that isn't part of their agenda.

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

#32

Post by bnjemian »

reaperducer wrote: post #21
the_snooze wrote: post #16

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…

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.

Poison the data!

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

#33

Post by Waterluvian »

LegitShady wrote: post #23
Waterluvian wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Someone can make an absolute killing by creating an entire brand of “dumb” appliances that Just Work. Make them sensible quality, modern, entirely offline.

they'll make a lot less of 'an absolute killing' than the devices and apps that spy on you through your phone and generate a constant revenue stream after the initial purpose. That's why dumb devices are getting harder and harder to find. It's much easier to take advantage of users and steal their data with 'smart' devices.

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.

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

#34

Post by mixmastamyk »

Mind blown, I stopped going to the Hollywood TJs the moment the sign went up that it was coming. We go to silverlake now even though the selection is not as good. Glad to see someone else cares. Now I feel like I could call them and tell them why without being ignored.

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

#35

Post by b8 »

I had to download a app to park on campus at college, giving them the cars license plate etc. and they ended up getting hacked(License plate etc. DB was dumped).[1] I dislike places forcing people to download apps just to be able to park.

1.https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/04/parkmobile-breach-expose...

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

#36

Post by encryptluks2 »

reaperducer wrote: post #28
encryptluks2 wrote: post #5

The worst offender I've seen is Xfinity/Comcast. Recently cancelled service, never got a notice and multiple incorrect bills after canceling. Anytime I would talk you customer service, they would always say... "If you want to see your correct bill, then you have to download the app." I continually would have to tell them that I'm not downloading their damn app and that they are big enough that they can have the corre…

I told my cable company that I'm blind. That seemed to fix a similar situation. Amusingly, two weeks after i get my regular cable bill in the mail, i now get a very large Braille version of it, as well. At least i think that's what it is.

That isn't a bad idea. However, it is kind of a gamble... like if they don't give you what you want and you have to take them to court because of accessibility or something they'd be quick to point out that you aren't actually blind.

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

#37

Post by renewiltord »

rPlayer6554 wrote: post #11

> But let’s clear up something right away: Trader Joe’s says it has nothing to do with this. > “This isn’t a TJ’s thing,” said Tara Miller, a Trader Joe’s spokesperson. “It’s being implemented by the landlord I feel like the headline is misleading and shouldn't mention Trader Joe's if it isn't Trader Joe's direct fault.

Nope. If you want to apply pressure you do so at the weakest link. This isn’t news. It’s an attempt to stop this using the news.

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

#38

Post by kuang_eleven »

I would expect better writing from the LA Times than this yellow journalism filled with clickbait...

There is a kernel of a news story here, but blaming it on Trader Joe's in the headline, only to retract it half-way through the story? The section with big scary words about how terrible it is to log an IP address?

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

#39

Post by tomrod »

rPlayer6554 wrote: post #11

> But let’s clear up something right away: Trader Joe’s says it has nothing to do with this. > “This isn’t a TJ’s thing,” said Tara Miller, a Trader Joe’s spokesperson. “It’s being implemented by the landlord I feel like the headline is misleading and shouldn't mention Trader Joe's if it isn't Trader Joe's direct fault.

Trader Joe's has negotiating power here, if they cared.

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

#40

Post by kwertyoowiyop »

encryptluks2 wrote: post #5

The worst offender I've seen is Xfinity/Comcast. Recently cancelled service, never got a notice and multiple incorrect bills after canceling. Anytime I would talk you customer service, they would always say... "If you want to see your correct bill, then you have to download the app." I continually would have to tell them that I'm not downloading their damn app and that they are big enough that they can have the corre…

Is being nice to monopolistic ISPs a left vs. right issue? Neither party seems to have done much to rein them in.
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