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The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/05/23/google-now-knows-when-you-are-at-a-cash-register-and-how-much-you-are-spending/ reports that Google has talked retailers into sharing data from credit card transactions, which it will link to location and other data, to further enhance consumer profiling*.
The article says "Google for years has been mining location data from Google Maps in an effort to prove that knowledge of people's physical locations could "close the loop" between physical and digital worlds. Users can block this by adjusting the settings on smartphones, but few do so, say privacy experts.
This location tracking ability has allowed Google to send reports to retailers telling them, for example, whether people who saw an ad for a lawn mower later visited or passed by a Home Depot. The location-tracking program has grown since it was first launched with only a handful of retailers. Home Depot, Express, Nissan, and Sephora have participated."
* and erode privacy.
The article also makes it clear than consumers don't get to opt-out, if they even find out their data has been shared.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 25 2017, @10:41AM
Not DannyB, but I think the powerful have realized that freedom of speech is a pretty good distraction. It does come with a little risk, but so far they've managed to pursue their agendas while using psychological techniques to keep the masses off track. "Conspiracy" became a word only crazies use, and even people speaking the truth get marginalized. You're ability to criticize anyone is allowed, right up until you cross the line or get too much traction. Then there are all manner of nasty methods to take you out of commission. From discrediting the source to blackmail or murder, we are not quite as free as we'd like to believe.
Humanity as a whole has to evolve, and it will take a while. My guess is 10-20 years for the miraculous predictions, 50-200 for more realistic projections. I just hope we can skip the WW3 stuff, or worse the descent back into true tyranny which could have all manner of consequences.