News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before an... by z_open on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @10:10AM (#16529262)
Is it also useful to be contributing to the apathy that our privacy, as a society, isn't worth protecting?
Re:MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before an... by drusepth on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @10:55AM (#16529567)
This is a pretty close-minded view on the pros vs cons of sharing any kind of data in return for benefits you value over that raw data.
Re:MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before an... by Bartweiss on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @12:27PM (#16530296)
A negative view, sure. But 'close-minded' implies it's an unexamined decision, and that's certainly not the case for me or many other HN users.

My essential stance on data-gathering (and especially location data or communication metadata) is that it represents an irreversible erosion of privacy, and in many cases compromises the privacy of other people who never consented to share their data.

I've used services that (effectively) traded my data for cash, but I think there's a compelling argument that ill-defined location monitoring is underestimated as a personal risk and acutely underestimated as a source of externalities. This is up for debate, certainly, but 'close-minded' seems to presume the answer and deny the possibility of those externalities.

Re:MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before an... by z_open on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @11:38AM (#16529904)
The pros you get are a luxury, while the cons are an infringement on our privacy.

We're at the point where you sharing your data harms everyone else. For example, if there are 1000 people in a population and 999 willing share all data on themselves, the last holdout doesn't need to offer his data. They can already derive it from based on everyone else's.

Re:MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before an... by dionidium on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @11:53AM (#16530019)
cons are an infringement on our privacy.

You have to explain why I'm supposed to care that MoviePass knows where I am when I'm near a theater (i.e. why is this a con). You're acting like this is obvious, but it's not. All your work is ahead of you.

Re:MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before an... by DrScump on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @05:20PM (#16532614)

  MoviePass knows where I am when I'm near a theater
That's not the risk -- Moviepass knows you are there at that time simply by your usage metrics.

The problem is that (1) other apps have Location access while you have Location services on if you have ever granted that privilege, including only at install time, and (2) few people have the presence of mind to turn Location on and back off promptly so that it's only on when the user is conscious of it.

Re:MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before an... by z_open on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @11:57AM (#16530056)
Because they give that information to 3rd parties who have a larger database about you in which to add it. Privacy is a basic human right and everyone wants it. You wouldn't willingly offer all data about yourself and livestream a camera of yourself 24/7 for everyone to see. I also already gave you a reason on how this harms people who don't want to give up any data on themselves.
Re:MoviePass CEO says the app tracks your location before an... by dionidium on Tuesday March 06, 2018 @04:23PM (#16532217)
The degree is the difference and it's a big one. We all trade privacy for other benefits all the time. If the right to privacy is fundamental, then surely I can claim the right to trade that privacy for something else, too.

(Note: we all do this all the time in both explicit and implicit ways. We give away private data to obtain loans, we invite people into our homes and to view our bodies, we tell important secrets to build relationships. Privacy is valuable, and we use it like it's valuable. That's what's going on here, too.)