# NSA style snooping...@ your neighborhood watering hole (I mean,coffee shop) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 17, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778 "2014-08-17T21:12:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![la\_fille\_intellectuelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@la\_fille\_intellectuelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/la_fille_intellectuelle)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/1 "2014-08-17T21:12:51Z")
This makes me sick so I’m just going to link to this article & be happy that I’ve done my good deed for the day.Slowly I’ve realized that we as humans are no longer valued as what we are,people,just trying to make it in this world. NOW WE ARE NO MORE THAN A COLLECTION OF DATA TO BE STOLEN & SOLD TO CREDIT REPORTING AGENCIES. THE GOLDEN RULE:IF SOMEONE KNOWS ME,& THEY KNOW DARN WELL IF THEY DO,THEN THEY UNDERSTAND I’M A PRIVATE PERSON.WHEN THE PHONE RINGS,I WON’T PICK IT UP UNLESS I KNOW THAT PERSON IS GOING TO CALL.IF YOU CAN’T JUST LEAVE A VOICEMAIL THEN YOU’RE COUNTING ON A SLIP OF THE TONGUE. MANY A TIME I’VE FUNNELED CALLS FROM PEOPLE SPEAKING SPANISH LOOKING FOR SOMEONE…I WAS BORN IN THE USA. > **[How Retail Stores Track You Using Your Smartphone (and How to Stop It)](https://lifehacker.com/how-retail-stores-track-you-using-your-smartphone-and-827512308)** > > When you walk into a brick and mortar retail store like a Nordstrom, Cabela, or even Family Dollar, you're being tracked around the store. Not by an over-suspicious security guard, but by the store's wireless network, using your phone's Wi-Fi. The... > **[How Stores Spy on You - Consumer Reports](https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2013/03/how-stores-spy-on-you/index.htm)** > > Did you know that stores spy on you? Many walk-in retailers are taking spying to a creepy new level. Get information on how stores spy on you from Consumer Reports. > **[Retailers turn to smartphones to track customer shopping habits](https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/retailers-turn-to-smartphones-to-track-customer-shopping-habits-1.1837293)** > > Before store owner Melissa Davis started using mobile analytics, she didn't know much about her customers shopping habits aside from how many came into her trendy sneaker shop each day, and how many of them bought a new pair of kicks. THIS SCARED ME A LITTLE BUT IT ONLY CONFIRMS THAT I NEED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW I LIVE MY LIFE. Au revoir 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/2 "2014-08-17T21:15:11Z")
…you’re selling what now? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/3 "2014-08-17T21:23:51Z")
Timeshares, I think. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/4 "2014-08-17T21:47:52Z")
Meh. This type of consumer-targeting data collection has been going on so long, they may as well call the NSA’s proclivities: **"Amazon-Style Snooping."** ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/5 "2014-08-17T22:36:48Z")
> [@la\_fille\_intellectuelle](#): > > this makes me sick so i’m just going to link to this article & be happy that i’ve done my good deed for the day.slowly i’ve realized that we as humans are no longer valued as what we are,people,just trying to make it in this world. > > Now we are no more than a collection of data to be stolen & sold to credit reporting agencies. > > The golden rule:if someone knows me,& they know darn well if they do,then they understand i’m a private person.when the phone rings,i won’t pick it up unless i know that person is going to call.if you can’t just leave a voicemail then you’re counting on a slip of the tongue. > > Many a time i’ve funneled calls from people speaking spanish looking for someone…i was born in the usa. > [How Retail Stores Track You Using Your Smartphone (and How to Stop It) | Lifehacker](http://lifehacker.com/how-retail-stores-track-you-using-your-smartphone-and-827512308) > > [http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2013/03/how-stores-spy-on-you/index.htm](http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2013/03/how-stores-spy-on-you/index.htm) > > [Retailers turn to smartphones to track customer shopping habits | CTV News](http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/retailers-turn-to-smartphones-to-track-customer-shopping-habits-1.1837293) > > this scared me a little but it only confirms that i need to take a closer look at how i live my life. > > Au revoir > :d _ **WHY ARE YOU YELLING AT ME?** _ Aloha ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/6 "2014-08-17T22:40:43Z")
I think it’s adios that’s scaring her. ---
**Author:** ![la\_fille\_intellectuelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@la\_fille\_intellectuelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/la_fille_intellectuelle)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/7 "2014-08-17T22:58:19Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/w6gXe9MI9fc/hqdefault.jpg "Walmart Rolling Out Facial Recognition System To Identify Customers!!!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6gXe9MI9fc) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hBxf9nFhMQw/hqdefault.jpg "Google Glass App Identifies Everyone With Criminal Records Using Facial Recognition") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBxf9nFhMQw) [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xtF2iA-iGM) Next time you decide to stroll into WalMart for your toothpaste (organic NON sodium laurel/alaureth anything/NON flouride is the best),the cameras in the shelves know what brand you picked up. This growing entrusion of government in our lives is scaring me since for the longest time I was very unaware. Noone seems to be interested in the fact that anyone with evil intentions could use this technology to violate your privacy. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/8 "2014-08-17T23:00:53Z")
> [@la\_fille\_intellectuelle](#): > > Next time you decide to stroll into WalMart for your toothpaste (organic NON sodium laurel/alaureth anything/NON flouride),the cameras in the shelves know what brand you picked up. > This growing entrusion of government in our lives is scaring me since for the longest time I was very unaware. 1. Cameras don’t “know” anything. 2. Walmart isn’t a government agency. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/9 "2014-08-17T23:05:49Z")
> [@la\_fille\_intellectuelle](#): > > Next time you decide to stroll into WalMart for your toothpaste (organic NON sodium laurel/alaureth anything/NON flouride is the best),the cameras in the shelves know what brand you picked up. And so does the scanner at the check out. It seems rather redundant to record what I’m buying with cameras in every shelf when they can just get all my purchases at the cash register. (I suppose it’s a deterrent to shoplifting.) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/10 "2014-08-17T23:06:18Z")
OK, I’m completely lost. What does Wal-Mart collecting shopper data have to do with the government, and with Spanish-speaking people calling on the telephone? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/11 "2014-08-17T23:53:33Z")
> [@la\_fille\_intellectuelle](#): > > Next time you decide to stroll into WalMart for your toothpaste (organic NON sodium laurel/alaureth anything/NON flouride is the best),the cameras in the shelves know what brand you picked up. Maybe so, but they don’t know who I am. They only know that somebody picked it up. Only the credit card company knows WHO picked it up. ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/12 "2014-08-18T02:09:22Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > OK, I’m completely lost. What does Wal-Mart collecting shopper data have to do with the government, and with Spanish-speaking people calling on the telephone? Nada. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/13 "2014-08-18T02:20:18Z")
So use cash to buy it, ever heard of that? Turn off bluetooth and wifi on your device when you’re not using them. I knew some guys that regularly shoplifted tens of thousands of dollars of merch from walmart, and returned some of it. Also got all their food there. They would just bag the shit in the store and make sure there were no beeper tags, and walk out like they came from a checkout. They said walmart was the easiest to steal from, so sure walmart has a NSA style surveillance op IDing customers off facial recog lol. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/14 "2014-08-18T14:17:07Z")
Paranoia strikes deep in the heartland. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/15 "2014-08-18T18:12:04Z")
> [@toofs](#): > > Nada. How can you think of swimming at a time like this? ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/16 "2014-08-18T18:19:14Z")
> [@la\_fille\_intellectuelle](#): > > Next time you decide to stroll into WalMart for your toothpaste (organic NON sodium laurel/alaureth anything/NON flouride is the best),the cameras in the shelves know what brand you picked up. I normally avoid buying flouride, except when making breadide of course. In all honesty, what do you possibly think the government would do with the knowledge that you bought a specific brand of toothpaste? I’m really trying to think of anything, sinister or innocent, and I’m coming up with a total blank. Help me out here. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/17 "2014-08-18T18:44:16Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > I normally avoid buying flouride, except when making breadide of course. > > In all honesty, what do you possibly think the government would do with the knowledge that you bought a specific brand of toothpaste? I’m really trying to think of anything, sinister or innocent, and I’m coming up with a total blank. Help me out here. They can break you by denying you your addiction to Mallomars. The horror. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/18 "2014-08-18T22:41:36Z")
Has she considered that maybe her current phone number once belonged to someone who spoke Spanish? ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/19 "2014-08-18T22:56:45Z")
True story, my ringtone goes… “Que Malo, Que Soy” There is a connection to the OP somewhere. **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nsa-style-snooping-your-neighborhood-watering-hole-i-mean-coffee-shop/695778/20 "2014-08-19T07:36:42Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > And so does the scanner at the check out. > > It seems rather redundant to record what I’m buying with cameras in every shelf when they can just get all my purchases at the cash register. (I suppose it’s a deterrent to shoplifting.) 8 out of 10 shoplifters prefer brand X.