Giving personal data for discounts may be mistake
It’s a savvy shopper’s favorite time of year: Discounts and deals as far as the eye can see.
You’re probably like me – I don’t like paying full price. But is handing over your email address, phone number, or even more worth it for a coupon code? Like most things tech, it depends.
What’s in the fine print?
Did you read it when you signed up? Yeah, I thought so. It’s never too late to go back and check the terms and conditions. Here are some recent stats from Atlas VPN, which reviewed some of the most popular shopping apps:
● 58% of the apps they reviewed shared names, home addresses, email IDs and phone numbers with third parties (That’s code for anyone willing to pay enough)
● 25% shared device IDs or other unique identifiers
● Roughly a third disclosed financial data, including purchase history and payment details
● 28% shared location data with “external sources,” whatever that means
Things aren’t much better if you’re signing up for an email list, handing over your number for marketing texts, even when it’s free.
USA TODAY
What about store loyalty cards?
Getting talked into signing up for a store loyalty program is easy. In exchange for a little info, you can score great deals on many different items. But just like the other methods we discussed, you’re giving away a lot more than you think.
Each swipe of your loyalty card, phone number, or email address tells the store everything you bought and when you bought it, along with your payment details. Pair that with downloading your store’s app, and they also know where you are.
Do it the privacy-first way
Remember how often sites used to ask you to answer a question to prove your identity? Thieves caught on, and now your bank has safer ways of ensuring it’s you than providing your mother’s maiden name.
My advice back then is the same now: Fudge it. (If you ever are asked to answer a personal question when creating a log-in, make something up – as long as you can remember what you said later.)
For coupons, loyalty cards and all the rest, that means setting yourself up with a burner email address and phone number.
Burner email addresses are disposable and can be used in place of your primary.
If you’re an Apple iCloud+ subscriber, you get access to one of my favorite Apple features: Hide My Email. It creates unique, random email addresses that forward to your inbox. You can create as many addresses as you want and reply to messages.
● Go to Settings and tap your Apple ID.
● Go to iCloud > Hide My Email Create New Address.
● Follow the onscreen instructions, and you’ll get a new email address you can manage from iCloud settings.
Learn about all the latest technology on the Kim Komando Show. For Kim’s daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com. >