3 ms·

Your details just go into a different file, and you show as sus on the next background check.

londons_explore 2y ago
This is why I don't use those privacy services. An awful lot of companies use background checks as a decider on if they are going to offer you service, or to give discounts to low-risk customers. I might end up paying extra because my insurance company decided I didn't fall into their 'lowest risk' bucket because my background check came back as "we have never heard of this gal" because I once used a data privacy protecting service or they can't find my facebook/linkedin/twitter.
- namaria 2y ago
  So your rationale is to avoid seeking out privacy on the off chance that you might not get the biggest discount available when buying insurance?
  - londons_explore 2y ago
    or a mortgage, credit card, or bank account, yep. There is easily a 10x difference in insurance prices between "known good customer" and "probably fraudulent customer" - and that difference is the difference between being able to own your own house (with mortgage to begin with) and renting for life. Most people would value owning their own home over having some computer system using their data to select one ad over another.
    - namaria 2y ago
      While there might be such a difference in price, equating trying to avoid data collection through legitimate means with being flagged as a probable fraudster and having to pay 10x is not sound reasoning. If people were routinely getting gauged like this for trying to opt out of something, there would be a pretty huge story in that and I doubt it would go unreported.
      - brewdad 2y ago
        Would these people necessarily know? I mean, if I'm getting quoted $10,000 a year to insure my car and my neighbor pays $1,000 for a similar car, I'm going to notice. But if I'm getting quotes of $1,200 or $1,500 would I know my thin data file is costing me money rather than some other mystery factor? Rinse. Repeat for loans a half percent to a full percent higher than my credit score should otherwise get me.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
  - pessimizer 2y ago
    Caring about privacy puts you on a list. It's like responding to spam asking to be taken off the mailing list; you're just verifying that you're someone they should be paying attention to.
    - namaria 2y ago
      I'd much rather be in a list for exercising my rights and upholding my convictions that cowering in fear of imagined damage for not toeing an arbitrary line. Sounds like a pretty awful way to live. Honestly I'm shocked to hear such a conformist and timid opinion uttered in a forum called Hacker News. Even if you play the 'actually this is a VC connected corporate forum' what sort of entrepreneur lives by this sort of preemptive self censoring?
      - barbecue_sauce 2y ago
        The person you're responding to is being descriptive, not prescriptive. I'm not sure why you're engaging with it as an "opinion".
        namaria 2y ago
        You think it is a certainty that if I care about privacy I will be put on a list (never mind what list or why does it matter), and you think it's a certainty you should appease the powers that be by pretending not to care?

This is why I don't use those privacy services. An awful lot of companies use background checks as a decider on if they are going to offer you service, or to give discounts to low-risk customers. I might end up paying extra because my insurance company decided I didn't fall into their 'lowest risk' bucket because my background check came back as "we have never heard of this gal" because I once used a data privacy protecting service or they can't find my facebook/linkedin/twitter.

namaria 2y ago
So your rationale is to avoid seeking out privacy on the off chance that you might not get the biggest discount available when buying insurance?
- londons_explore 2y ago
  or a mortgage, credit card, or bank account, yep. There is easily a 10x difference in insurance prices between "known good customer" and "probably fraudulent customer" - and that difference is the difference between being able to own your own house (with mortgage to begin with) and renting for life. Most people would value owning their own home over having some computer system using their data to select one ad over another.
  - namaria 2y ago
    While there might be such a difference in price, equating trying to avoid data collection through legitimate means with being flagged as a probable fraudster and having to pay 10x is not sound reasoning. If people were routinely getting gauged like this for trying to opt out of something, there would be a pretty huge story in that and I doubt it would go unreported.
    - brewdad 2y ago
      Would these people necessarily know? I mean, if I'm getting quoted $10,000 a year to insure my car and my neighbor pays $1,000 for a similar car, I'm going to notice. But if I'm getting quotes of $1,200 or $1,500 would I know my thin data file is costing me money rather than some other mystery factor? Rinse. Repeat for loans a half percent to a full percent higher than my credit score should otherwise get me.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
- pessimizer 2y ago
  Caring about privacy puts you on a list. It's like responding to spam asking to be taken off the mailing list; you're just verifying that you're someone they should be paying attention to.
  - namaria 2y ago
    I'd much rather be in a list for exercising my rights and upholding my convictions that cowering in fear of imagined damage for not toeing an arbitrary line. Sounds like a pretty awful way to live. Honestly I'm shocked to hear such a conformist and timid opinion uttered in a forum called Hacker News. Even if you play the 'actually this is a VC connected corporate forum' what sort of entrepreneur lives by this sort of preemptive self censoring?
    - barbecue_sauce 2y ago
      The person you're responding to is being descriptive, not prescriptive. I'm not sure why you're engaging with it as an "opinion".
      - namaria 2y ago
        You think it is a certainty that if I care about privacy I will be put on a list (never mind what list or why does it matter), and you think it's a certainty you should appease the powers that be by pretending not to care?