I get accused of being a cynic. A lot. There’s definitely a level of truth to it.
Yesterday, I was at 7-11, and there was a sign that I could use the mobile app to pay bills with cash. This seemed like an interesting and helpful tool (I frequently receive cash from clients), but I immediately dismissed the idea when I realized that 7-11 would have a list of my bills and when I paid them, something that is already being used by a number of companies for their benefit, not mine. Using such an app would produce additional insight regarding the fact that I’m paying with cash, which store I do it in, what time of day, and how frequently.
I may well be a cynic, but since virtually every app is doing some form of data collection these days, it’s a tough sell for me to get excited about an app anymore. This is coming from someone who used to jailbreak his iPhone to get apps before the App Store opened its intangible doors.
…posted from the WordPress app.
Well, in the specific category of “how businesses monitor customers (and potential customers)”, I wouldn’t necessarily call you a cynic, but a realist. Let’s face it, when it comes to ‘getting people’s money’ companies will use every tactic, every lure and every resource at their disposal and that’s nothing new. They just have more technologically savvy ways of doing it now, in comparison to some years ago. They don’t see it as invasion of privacy, just ‘good business sense’.
Wish we could somehow block them from monitoring such things. Hmmmm, I wonder if there’s an App for that? LOL
To an extent, there is an app called Xprivacy that can greatly assist in that regard. However, it is most definitely not for everyone.