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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

#41

Post by renewiltord »

encryptluks2 wrote: post #36
reaperducer wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

It’s not a problem. There’s an ADA ambulance chaser lawyer here in the Bay. Just point him at the problem and he will rustle up a blind man and sign him up for Comcast and ask for the Braille bill in the way that they will be most likely to refuse. Then he’ll take care of it.

Usually he goes after wheelchair access and stuff but I think he’d jump on this.

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

#42

Post by LegitShady »

Waterluvian wrote: post #33
LegitShady wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

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 might buy one to watch movies on.

Also on the front page

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29218381

Vizio makes more money spying on people who buy TVs than TVs themselves

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

#43

Post by inetknght »

yumraj wrote: 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...

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

#44

Post by akudha »

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…

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 the information, it is also treating customers like idiots and with total contempt. I never set foot in that store again.

There should be a oath (like doctors) for software professionals. I don’t think it will practically change anything, but at least it will create a tiny bit of awareness. People who code shit like this parking app should really ask themselves if it is worth it

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

#45

Post by Tempest1981 »

dreen wrote: post #7

Just say you don't have a smartphone. I got rid of mine and was worried I will have issues at places that do this sort of stuff. Turns out usually things suddenly become possible.

The HN crowd knows this, but 97% of users don't, and just follow the "rules". They lack the tech-paranoia that us tech workers have, as we happily/fearfully build these systems to maximize monetization.

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

#46

Post by encryptluks2 »

kwertyoowiyop wrote: post #40
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.

That is a very fair point. The point of mentioning the Infrastructure plan wasn't to target specifically Democrats for being the only one at fault, however they are the ones in power now and many people here pretend like the Democrats are somehow different and actually making significant improvements. I was just pointing out the flawed logic.

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

#47

Post by ppetty »

JBG Properties did this in Reston Town Center, Reston Virginia. I avoid parking in any of their garages unless during a free window, and while a few restaurants provide reimbursement the number of businesses that have left and not been replaced is sad. At some point, maybe the rent or parking costs will drop. But the failure to consider the privacy discomfort is what keeps me away. I work about a quarter mile away and avoid the Apple store or CVS for stores miles away but which cost less for parking.

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

#50

Post by hyperman1 »

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…

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