ZIP CODE AT RETAILERS MEANS MORE LOST PRIVACY

ZIP CODE AT RETAILERS MEANS MORE LOST PRIVACY

Zip Code

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/06/24/heres-the-ugly-story-of-what-happened-to-one-woman-who-didnt-want-to-give-a-store-her-zip-code-and-why-you-probably-shouldnt/

The Blaze – Becket Adams – 6/24/2013

if a clerk gets your name and zip code information, the store can take that information to a “data broker” and ask them to “match up the name with the zip code in order to get the person’s home address,” said UC-Berkeley Law School professor Chris Hoofnagle.

“And they can get other information, too,” Hoofnagle added. “They might be able to get and email address or a phone number as well.”

 

Obviously, retailers use this data to better direct their marketing campaigns. But the type of personal information some retailers collect, including how much a customer makes or whether that customer has filed for bankruptcy, has raised concerns.

And if that doesn’t make you uncomfortable, there’s always the possibility that store employees with access to customer data may decide to use that information for nefarious purposes:

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