Buzzkill
This right here! The private industry is who we should all worry the most about when it comes to overreach. All in the name of making another dollar. Google and others are scary as to what they have their hands in these days. Most people have no idea. Of course all of that data is exploited by the gov't so here we are. All those permissions you grant with apps and so forth you really should think hard about before doing so.
I support your opinion %100. The local rank and file employee gets paid no matter if their being productive or not. A mini protest doesn't make the least bit of difference to walley world. It does however usually make the protester feel a little bit better. Of course that's just my opinion.
It’s more about what they do with that data than whether they have it. If it’s being used to recommend a book you might like to read, that’s pretty harmless. If it’s being used to target you with inflammatory rhetoric that intices you to spend more time reading inflammatory rhetoric (which 100% is happening today), then that’s a slippery slope and pretty dangerous for society as a whole. Just look at all of the polarization in the world today. Social media and targeted manipulation is the gasoline on that fire. Their only goal is to keep you online as much as possible. That’s how they make money serving you ads and content. The way to keep you online is figure out what fires you up. Vicious cycle, and I’m afraid it doesn’t end well.
They can pry this 60 year old shower supply line from my cold, dead hands...
That's understandable to try and cut down on thefts. I have dealt with A&S metals for maybe 15 years. We know each other very well. They have my full account info yet whenever I take copper, stainless, aluminum etc. they take a picture of me and a picture of the pile of metal. It keeps people a little more honest.
Nothing better then sticking it to the man!
A lot of the larger online retialers get the info from your credit card company, etc and they still make you click the liability form that says you're old enough to order, etc.
I think the $230+ Billion in Walton family wealth and 17 years as the sole member of the ‘Fortune 1’ is probably a decent consolation prize
Very valid point in the larger context of infosec and PII. But, to expand on your acknowledgement of this not being a WMT issue, I've worked with many large retailers (incl the topic of this thread), and am currently employed by a mid-size one. Retailers aren't using consumer data to serve media/influence anything other than buying more stuff, in more ways, from them. I review consumer data daily, and it's both amalgamated and, honestly, pretty boring (avg cart size, price sensitivity, channel preferences, geographic demand, CAC/CLV, et al). It never contains PII.
I never thought about not being able to check out without the magic card. I know Costco has the right to check your receipt against your cart because they are a subscription "club". If you don't pay to get in, then companies like Walmart cannot legally ask for it.
