Google starts tracking what people buy in physical stores

Re:Google starts tracking what people buy in physical stores by keithpeter on Wednesday May 24, 2017 @05:31AM (#14408704)

Perhaps a more subtle thing for them to keep in mind: many people carry out a mix of card/online and cash transactions. Only the card/online transactions will be captured. The Panopticon's record will show an extremely unhealthy and meagre diet for me for instance because I buy fresh fruit/veg at markets - cash only.

It strikes me that data censored through transaction modality and then used to make marketing decisions may result in poor results.

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Re:Google starts tracking what people buy in physical stores by bbcbasic on Wednesday May 24, 2017 @06:13AM (#14408863)

If they can still make predictions based on a partial dataset it's better than nothing and probably profitable to use. Chuck some linear regression or similar at it.

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Re:Google starts tracking what people buy in physical stores by TeMPOraL on Wednesday May 24, 2017 @09:01AM (#14409676)

Also in this particular example, they could probably compute that your junk food shopping doesn't account for your daily calories intake.

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Re:Google starts tracking what people buy in physical stores by eternalban on Wednesday May 24, 2017 @06:06AM (#14408829)

The Panopticon central says 'cash is going bye bye sunshine'.

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Re:Google starts tracking what people buy in physical stores by keithpeter on Wednesday May 24, 2017 @04:07PM (#14413033)

http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Documents/quarte...

Cash will be around for a fair time yet, but you have a point for any form of regular or recurrent expenditure. As the above pdf explains 'hoarding' of notes as a store of value seems strangely popular...

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