Grocery list profiling
=v= According to this article in the Village Voice, if you've got a "preferred customer" discount card of some sort, the type they use to track your grocery store purchases, that information is now being considered for use in the hunt for potential terrorists. Perhaps you'll make the short list if you buy too much falafel and hummus?
I've heard rumors of "card-swapping parties" (wink wink nudge nudge) where folks exchange these cards with the deliberate intention of tainting the data collection. It's pretty easy to use fake names on these, though perhaps that will soon change in the name of homeland security.
Also, a member of the secretive Muted Horn writes:
People in the grocery line are using their member cards on my purchases to speed me through the line, 'cause I refuse to get one. I'm not exactly sure why this started all of a sudden, though; I haven't asked anyone yet, I just say thanks and move on. I hope that it skews the grocery store databases.
(Via Follow Me Here and the Muted Horn)
=v= Technology marches on, and in this case is unfortunately trampling on our privacy some more. Today's New York Times has a story about grocery store scanners that won't use discount cards or even credit/debit/ATM cards. They scan your fingerprints. (The Times site requires free registration.)
So I guess that means finger-swapping parties.
Posted by Jym on July 25 2002 18:46
=v= I just discovered C.A.S.P.I.A.N., some folks who are really on top of the discount cards situation.
Posted by jym on July 30 2002 16:19