Loyalty Frequent Shopper Card Programs Gaining Access to Your Facebook Profile for Cross-Referencing Your Purchases and Shopping Preferences

The Internet Patrol default featured image
Share the knowledge

Once again Facebook, your friendly social media hotspot, is the target of marketers wanting and gaining access to your personal data — as a loyalty frequent shopper card program can use that data to cross-reference your likes and interactions to target your pocketbook. And all of it is correlated to you, personally, without so much as a choice to opt-in.

It’s yet another insidious data grab flying well below the radar to usurp your online habits when your guard is down. And we at The Internet Patrol think it’s flat out unfair. Also known as Just Plain Wrong.

It’s a fundamental concept of interacting online that your personal data is just that — yours. So it always remains up to you and you alone to decide who has your data and who gets to use it. This concept allows you to pick and choose who has your most private information, and for what purpose.

Transparency is the key. Many folks don’t mind if a favorite service or manufacturer has their data. They welcome a trusted brand to use volunteered data in order to bring new products to their attention. And there’s nothing at all wrong with that.

The Internet Patrol is completely free, and reader-supported. Your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP.

CashApp us Square Cash app link

Venmo us Venmo link

Paypal us Paypal link

As long as it happens with explicit approval and agreement.

Because there are just as many people in the world who protect their data like the treasure that it is.

So who’s the culprit here? Is it the marketer — who is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to tap into your psyche in order to ply their wares on the market? Or is it Facebook itself? Who one would think has an obligation to protect your data from capture without your participation?

Or, perhaps, is it both?

Whatever the answer, marketers and Facebook alike should be wary of a consumer’s reaction to this betrayal.

Unless, of course, the highly paid CEOs of the companies whose loyalty card programs are the beneficiaries of this data grab are willing to surrender THEIR OWN personal data for the world to use as it sees fit.

Without, of course, any permission for the right to violate the sanctity of their every click.

Yes, we’re lookin’ at YOU, Mark Zuckerberg.

Get New Internet Patrol Articles by Email!

The Internet Patrol is completely free, and reader-supported. Your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP.

CashApp us Square Cash app link

Venmo us Venmo link

Paypal us Paypal link

 


Share the knowledge

One thought on “Loyalty Frequent Shopper Card Programs Gaining Access to Your Facebook Profile for Cross-Referencing Your Purchases and Shopping Preferences

  1. Me thinks they will soon run into trouble! For one thing, in Canada, they will run into The Office of the Privacy Commissioner. In the USA, they will probably run into a nice lawsuit. And in Europe? Why will they not learn? Yes, I know they need income. But sometimes, there are ways to get income and there are proper ways to do so….

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.