Does anyone have experience with these applications used by many major retailers. They have stealthy names and pretexts but they are actually data miners in disguise?
Can you share a few examples of apps like that?
Yes, I can. This is one reason I selected the Brax 3. I wonât know if it works until I try it. First a little background. Many consumers are not yet aware of âDynamic pricingâ. The retail store is permitted ( in most USA states) to price any item based on any values it decides. Recently I have been buying groceries at a retail store who would send me email notices of items on sale for the following day or week. Some of these discounts could be 70% off! If you need the item that is a huge discount. All customers who are physically in the store were allowed to buy the discounted items. This has changed over the past week. The discounts are available ONLY when you provide a code from your smartphone. This is from a smartphone app called âWOWâ. My research has found that many large grocery chains in the USA are doing something similar ( Kroger Grocery stores). Lowes hardware chain allegedly implements a system of facial recognition cameras ( to identify customers, not thieves) in each store as well as License Plate Reader cameras in the parking lot ( This is a different story but they also use dynamic pricing). To save you time I will provide a few links to the APP and how it works. I caution you that there are many more public links that do an excellent job of obfuscating what is really going on. Please read ALL of the âdisclaimersâ about what data the app extracts and how the data is used. All in fine print pages long. Links here-- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.groceryoutlet.loyaltyapp&hl=en_US Privacy - Grocery Outlet Privacy - Grocery Outlet Meta Privacy Policy - How Meta collects and uses user data https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites?hl=en-US These links and more are from the Grocery Outlet website on privacy. There are many details that are here just many many links concerning the WOW app and lots of undefined terms and definitions. Example: What is the meaning of the words ânot currentlyâ Is it today next week when my browser renders the image.
Ok, I get what you mean now.
Few things you can do:
- Do not authenticate in the app. If you can checkout as a guest - do so
- Use VPN
- Minimize the permissions youâre granting the site / app - donât grant camera, microphone, location, etc.
If apps are forcing you to authenticate and give sensitive permissions - avoid it like the plague.
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Okay, but this topic is not just a superfluous or speculative topic about internet privacy, it also effects other forms of privacy in our daily lives. Example a major USA hardware chain is not only using dynamic pricing where the price is set by who the customer is, how much they can afford the item and many more variables known only to the retail chain and or their marketing affiliates. In this large chain, in California, not only do they have pretend security cameras for retail theft but these cameras are used to identify customers using facial recognition. One way to determine this is to evaluate the actual âsurveillance camerasâ themselves. How? Near IR is essential for many AI based cameras to collect information not readily observable in visible light. These cameras use an NIR LED array to illuminate the face. How do I know these cameras are NOT for collecting evidence on thieves? This is an easy question to answer. Under California law, the theft of an aggregate amount under $1,000 per incident is not prosecutable and no law enforcement officer will apprehend or arrest a thief stealing items from a store in their presence! Why spend literally millions on âtheft deterrentâ cameras when you can use them to identify customers and maximize profits by increasing prices on select items? Of course there is more. In the USA there is a âsafetyâ camera company that manufactures a high quality NIR LPR License Plate Recognition camera in its private parking lots. The store will know what car you drive, where you live and at what times you visit and for how long. This is not for trying to catch criminals, they are ubiquitous in California. This morning I was shopping at this hardware store chain to buy some simple garden tools. Aha! Small cameras on many aisles watching me as I select a rake or shovel. This time I paid cash to get the correct labeled price! But just outside the retail store doors what do I see? - LPR License Plate Recognition cameras at the ready to see how I arrived ( no sidewalks around here). I took a photograph of a few of these cameras.
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Here is the webpage of the company who manufactures these high quality LPR cameras. Note my photos show the cameras on private property in a parking lot. https://www.flocksafety.com/products/license-plate-readers
These appear to be exactly the cameras sold by Flocksafety. The cameras are pointed at entrances and exits in the hardware store parking lot and not at public street traffic or intersections. If they are to catch robbers and thieves, great! However, the employees will get fired if they stop a thief while they are in the act. Police will not respond by California state law for less than $1,000 value of stolen goods per incident. IMHO the store wants to know everything about its customers. This data is sold many times to others as described in their app privacy policy which gives links to Facebook Google and others.
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I did a deep dive on the âWowâ app used for dynamic pricing of food market products. From what I learned I will Never download âWowâ or use any electronic device that has this malware em bedded in it! It is a combination of a family of privacy invaders including LinkedIn, Google, and Zuckbook-Meta. In the California privacy disclosure fine print it plans to use additional participants but ânot currentlyâ. It makes nebulous marketing claims but the squeeze is not worth the juice. In addition, it is difficult to remove all of its components which will remain to communicate or be controlled by unspecified software.
I can confirm that those LPRs are connected to Flock public safety systems which are used across the country by LE agencies. Iâm not sure what other utility they provide Lowes beyond what has already been speculated.
Yes, but in the photos I show the three Flock LPR cameras are on private property at a major chain hardware store and pointed at any vehicle ( and drivers) that approach the store parking lot regardless if they park or just drive through. In addition each self check out register has two cameras pointed at the customer including a monitor that shows small squares around the face as it moves. Further inside the store there are a few areas with separate face ID cameras also with the monitor screens in plumbing, electrical and fastener departments.
Just wait until theyâre using facial recognition. 
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Oh brother, they want to be a more powerful spy network than Zuck or Big G.
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80,000 cameras in their network and thatâs before the new Atlanta based drone factory.
The US citizens are building and paying for their own cage.
I canât wait to see how Nuerolink and Starlink are going to integrate.
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Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc6f_2nPSX8