Big Brother’s Closer Than You Think

But, do you know who else is collecting data & watching you?

Been to the local grocery store lately? Have they implemented their own ’savings’ card where you save money by using it? Some items have two prices. There’s one price for people with the card, and a higher price for those without the card.

Remember when you signed up for the card? You probably filled out a standard form. Name, address, phone, zip code. Maybe a bit more information.

Guess what?

The grocery store chain now has a database of your buying habits. Every time the checker scans an item, and if you used your card, your purchase goes into a database. They know everything you buy, and how often. Now that doesn’t sound too dangerous, does it?

Well, it’s not dangerous, but you are being targeted. Targeted marketing that is. Let’s say the mythical “Acme Widget, Inc.” is set to introduce this years’ new, and improved widget. How will they do it? It’s a given fact in the retail world that it’s always easier to sell to an existing customer. So, ‘Acme’ buys a mailing list from the grocery store chain of all people who have bought an ‘Acme’ product in the previous six months.

And so, you get an envelope in the mail announcing the new product. Maybe it even has a coupon in it for the new product, as well as for the product you already buy. After all, they know what you bought.

Remember, a few years ago, some of the cereal makers got in the news for trying to manipulate your buying habits. If a particular brand was having slumping sales - here comes the coupons. Well, now they don’t have to spend the money to put them in the newspapers where everyone sees them. They can just mail them to their existing customers.

Never think the grocers would become “big brother.” Neither did I. At least all they’re targeting you for is more of your money.

Yahoo™.

Been there recently? Use Yahoo Mail™?

Every so often, over the past few months when you log on (remember, this was written a few years back), you are asked to answer an ‘optional’ question for their records. This week they may ask your age. Next week they may ask if you have a car. Then it’s your income level, your level of education, are you married, number of children, and so on.

Over the course of six months, they will have built an extensive database of information about most of their users. And, the kicker is, most people don’t realize this, as the information is being collected slowly. One question at a time over a long period.

Remember when you signed up for this service, or most anyone else’s. There’s usually a little box to click that asks if you want to receive mail from “third party partners.” These are the people that buy your name and address.

Now Yahoo™, or anyone else, won’t share the personal information they are collecting. But, they can use it to match names with the profiles these “third party partners” are looking for.

Once again, not very dangerous. But, you will get a lot more unwanted emails & snail mails.