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I'm fairly confident I could sue that store owner for stalking if they were logging every time I entered that store and left, along with all my activities. I'm

I'm fairly confident I could sue that store owner for stalking if they were logging every time I entered that store and left, along with all my activities. I'm absolutely positive I could if they were getting other store owners to help them track me. What I don't understand is why this is unacceptable if they do it to a single person but perfectly normal if they do it to all their customers. IMO that should make things worse, not better. Let's put it this way. You'd get a restraining order against someone if they followed you around all day, logging when you woke up, ate, who you talked with (even if they don't hear the conversation), where you went, and when you went to bed. That's clearly stalking, right? So why us it suddenly acceptable when it's being done by some guy named Mark who is stalking a billion people instead of just one? We clearly differentiate this from being a regular customer at a store. If I'm a regular at Joe's Corner Market and get a sandwich every Wednesday for lunch then he remembers me because we're talking face to face and making conversation. It's personal. There's clear consent in what I'm sharing and there's a clear expectation that Joe isn't going to use that information to manipulate me or follow me around town. Our interaction is limited to the store and maybe bumping into each other on the street. It's clearly not stalking, we're just friendly. The same way your partner might know about when you wake up, go to sleep, eat for breakfast, and all that same stuff. Your partner isn't stalking you. [Edit]: I want to encourage the above comments. Doesn't matter if recursive4 believes the other side or not, I want these conversations to be front and center. I like to see the other responses than mine as well and I think these help us refine our arguments and by being prominent they help others be convinced and join us. So while I know we don't usually talk about how to upvote/downvote, I'll just say "vote strategically rather than agreeability" :)

dpoloncsak 1y ago
Doesn't your (proverbial) Costco membership card track every time you enter and leave the store? Doesn't seem like anyone is suing them... Also, if they were logging you specifically, you may have grounds to stand on. But if they're logging every customer that comes in/out (like websites do), I think there is a lot less grounds for a restraining order or anything Edit: Found out I'm using 'proverbial' wrong but I think you get the idea either way.
- ImPostingOnHN 1y ago
  > Doesn't your (proverbial) Costco membership card track every time you enter and leave the store No (you have to use it at the register for Costco to know you were there), and they don't track your every movement in store either, and they don't track your every movement outside the store either, and there isn't a standard way to say "I don't want this" which they nonetheless choose to ignore.
  - treetalker 1y ago
    > No (you have to use it at the register for Costco to know you were there), Not the case where I am: Costco scans everyone's card upon entry into the store. > and they don't track your every movement in store either, It might: Costco certainly uses security cameras, and it's possible that Costco may be using some sort of AI / facial recognition software alongside the cameras. Perhaps someone who has worked with Costco in security / loss prevention could chime in. > and they don't track your every movement outside the store either, Probably true, although who knows whether Costco purchases data about its members from brokers? > and there isn't a standard way to say "I don't want this" which they nonetheless choose to ignore. I think you're talking about the equivalent of cookies in the real world, in which case I'd generally agree.
    - ImPostingOnHN 1y ago
      > Costco scans everyone's card upon entry into the store. Not the case where I am: You just ask for a "code 99", because they are legally required to sell alcohol to nonmembers where I am. I'm sure there are other loopholes too ("I want to browse to see if I want to join"), but nonetheless, no tracking for me. > it's possible that Costco may be using some sort of AI / facial recognition software alongside the cameras It's possible that they have a magic genie that grants wishes to shoppers who rub the right pallet, but if we have no evidence of either, we need not entertain such hypotheticals. > Probably true, although who knows whether Costco purchases data about its members from brokers? Those brokers are literally the people to whom we're comparing Costco. If Costco must outsource the act in question to the brokers even in the analogy, then Costco is not analogous to the brokers.

dpoloncsak 1y ago

Doesn't your (proverbial) Costco membership card track every time you enter and leave the store? Doesn't seem like anyone is suing them... Also, if they were logging you specifically, you may have grounds to stand on. But if they're logging every customer that comes in/out (like websites do), I think there is a lot less grounds for a restraining order or anything Edit: Found out I'm using 'proverbial' wrong but I think you get the idea either way.

ImPostingOnHN 1y ago
> Doesn't your (proverbial) Costco membership card track every time you enter and leave the store No (you have to use it at the register for Costco to know you were there), and they don't track your every movement in store either, and they don't track your every movement outside the store either, and there isn't a standard way to say "I don't want this" which they nonetheless choose to ignore.
- treetalker 1y ago
  > No (you have to use it at the register for Costco to know you were there), Not the case where I am: Costco scans everyone's card upon entry into the store. > and they don't track your every movement in store either, It might: Costco certainly uses security cameras, and it's possible that Costco may be using some sort of AI / facial recognition software alongside the cameras. Perhaps someone who has worked with Costco in security / loss prevention could chime in. > and they don't track your every movement outside the store either, Probably true, although who knows whether Costco purchases data about its members from brokers? > and there isn't a standard way to say "I don't want this" which they nonetheless choose to ignore. I think you're talking about the equivalent of cookies in the real world, in which case I'd generally agree.
  - ImPostingOnHN 1y ago
    > Costco scans everyone's card upon entry into the store. Not the case where I am: You just ask for a "code 99", because they are legally required to sell alcohol to nonmembers where I am. I'm sure there are other loopholes too ("I want to browse to see if I want to join"), but nonetheless, no tracking for me. > it's possible that Costco may be using some sort of AI / facial recognition software alongside the cameras It's possible that they have a magic genie that grants wishes to shoppers who rub the right pallet, but if we have no evidence of either, we need not entertain such hypotheticals. > Probably true, although who knows whether Costco purchases data about its members from brokers? Those brokers are literally the people to whom we're comparing Costco. If Costco must outsource the act in question to the brokers even in the analogy, then Costco is not analogous to the brokers.