Comments on: AT&T, Verizon offer daily deals with a phone-tracking twist

By: RaptorOO7

RaptorOO7 — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:24:52 +0000

Agreed, consumers are quite willing to give up info freely when offered a cookie in exchange but only when offered. In the world of Facebook and the millions and millions of users who post everything and anything about their personal lives and their friends/families lives with or without consent this really should not come as a shocker.

Of course Facebook does take the stance that their service is free and you can opt out anytime you want and while that is true Facebook also has shown time and again they will use whatever methods possible to make changing your privacy settings to keep your privacy, well private.

I bet if the wireless carriers offered a huge discount on their services in exchange for this level of info the response would be overwhelmingly positive, I for one will continue to say no, opt out and pay for my service. My privacy is worth more than a cheap coupon.

By: Kevin Fitchard

Kevin Fitchard — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:56:50 +0000

I agree with you there. The thing is carriers didn’t ask permission. They didn’t even tell their customers were doing it. And the demanded their handset vendors secretly install the software in their firmware. Those just aren’t oversights. Those are the reasons for the controversy.

By: thepbxguy

thepbxguy — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:50:24 +0000

Having seen Andrew Coward (the man with perhaps the best last name in Marketing) speak about Carrier IQ, I’ve come to the conclusion that no one would be upset at all about that software if it were opt-in. Frankly, consumers have shown time and again that they are willing to exchange privacy for convenience and Carrier IQ, in discount form, seems like the perfect way to tap into that.

Location is just another signal in the noise.