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Everyone knows your location: tracking myself down through in-app ads

(timsh.org)
1957 points apokryptein | 9 comments | 02 Feb 25 17:07 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom
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inahga ◴[02 Feb 25 17:31 UTC] No.42910118[source]▶
There are quite a few interesting tracking flows out there.

My rent is paid through a company called Bilt.

I discovered that when I shop at Walgreens now, Bilt sends me an email containing the full receipt of what I bought like so:

    > Hey [inahga],
    >
    > You shopped at Walgreens on 12/1/24 and earned Bilt Points with your
    > Neighborhood Pharmacy benefit.
    >
    > Items eligible for rewards
    > TOSTITOS HINT OF LIME RSTC 11OZ
    > $3.50
    > 
    > +3 pts
    > TOSTITOS RSTC 12OZ
    > $3.50
    >
    > +3 pts
    > Other items*
    > EXCLUDED ITEMS
    > $0.07
    >
    > *May include rewards-ineligible items and/or prescriptions.
Ostensibly (hopefully) it would exclude sensitive items, plan B, condoms, etc...

I'm curious how this data flows from Walgreens to my rent company, but maybe I'd rather not know and just use cash/certified check from now on.

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inetknght ◴[02 Feb 25 17:48 UTC] No.42910255[source]▶
> just use cash/certified check from now on

You might want to discover about sophistication and pervasive facial recognition technology used by major retailers. Paid by cash? It can still be tracked to you. For "fraud prevention", of course.

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gruez ◴[02 Feb 25 18:04 UTC] No.42910384[source]▶
>Paid by cash? It can still be tracked to you. For "fraud prevention", of course.

They can already track you through your phone and/or credit cards. Why bother setting up a massive facial recognition system for people paying with cash when they only account for 10% (or whatever) of overall shoppers, and have less disposable income than average?

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1. spencerflem ◴[02 Feb 25 18:14 UTC] No.42910460[source]▶
idk why, but they do
replies(1): >>42910545 #
2. bdavbdav ◴[02 Feb 25 18:24 UTC] No.42910545[source]▶
Got a source on retailers actively doing this?
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3. erikerikson ◴[02 Feb 25 18:35 UTC] No.42910620[source]▶
Word of mouth: retailers in China have been using face recognition technologies to identify key customers so that they can be greater by name when delivered their favorite drink upon entering the premises.
replies(1): >>42910703 #
4. spencerflem ◴[02 Feb 25 18:37 UTC] No.42910636[source]▶
Its very well known that Target, Wallgreens use facial recognition for shoplifting.

Its harder to prove any specific stores are using any specific survailence product for marketing, but plenty of companies are offering it. Here' Samsung's take: https://web.archive.org/web/20230410052807/https://www.samsu...

replies(1): >>42911783 #
5. gruez ◴[02 Feb 25 18:44 UTC] No.42910703{3}[source]▶
The trouble with "word of mouth" is that you can't tell whether something is actually real, or vaporware that some account executive dreamed up to close a deal.
replies(1): >>42910744 #
6. erikerikson ◴[02 Feb 25 18:48 UTC] No.42910744{4}[source]▶
I agree, which is why I qualified it. I was working at a retailer, building it's cloud systems at the time. It was told to me by a colleague who claimed to be told that by a peer from China at a conference.
7. vmilner ◴[02 Feb 25 19:14 UTC] No.42910927[source]▶
https://www.facewatch.co.uk/
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8. bdavbdav ◴[02 Feb 25 21:00 UTC] No.42911771{3}[source]▶
I meant more for marketing - definitely used lots for loss prevention.
9. bdavbdav ◴[02 Feb 25 21:01 UTC] No.42911783{3}[source]▶
That’s really interesting- thanks for the link!