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Ways Technology Threatens Your Privacy (and How to Protect Yourself)

by Riva Richmond on May 14, 2009 at 02:13 PM



10) Loyalty Cards from Retail Stores

Many of us carry little cards on our keychains with bar codes or magnetic stripes that get us discounts on cereal and soup. But did you know that grocery stores use the cards to collect vast amounts of data about your purchasing habits? Grocery and drug stores (and video, book, and consumer electronics stores, among others) use the data to help decide what products to carry, how much to charge for them, and, sometimes, to target you with coupons and promotions. These stores often sell this data to other companies that want to know more about your buying habits. One remedy is to use a fake name when you sign up, though you should check the contract's fine print to make sure you won't be breaking the law.

Cards with a more powerful technology called RFID, which transmits information over airwaves, are beginning to up that intrusion factor. RFID is used in automatic toll payment modules that offer discounts on highway and bridge tolls (and quick passage during rush hour). Most people think the trade of information for discounts is a fair one. Do you?

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