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My neighbor thinks a cashless society means the government sees every coffee you buy
He told me this over the fence last week, and it's a common mix-up. The real issue isn't the government watching your latte purchase, it's the payment apps and banks building a profile on your habits. I know because I worked for a data firm that bought this info to target ads. They don't care about the coffee, they care about predicting your next big buy. Does anyone else see people confusing who actually has the data?
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elliotm575mo ago
My old roommate worked at a credit card company and said they sell your shopping patterns to retailers, not the government. The scary part is how they link your small buys to guess when you might need a new car or house. I had to explain to my aunt that her fear was aimed at the wrong group. It's the companies, not the cops, who track that stuff. What did you tell your neighbor when he brought it up?
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jessej235mo ago
Honestly, it's so frustrating when people get the wrong idea about who's watching. I told my neighbor pretty much the same thing, that it's the companies building a whole life story from your receipts. Tbh, he just kind of shrugged and went back to mowing his lawn. Feels like you can't win sometimes, even when you know the facts.
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gavin2284mo ago
Yeah totally, I've seen this exact thing with my own neighbor too. She got all worked up about the government tracking her debit card swipes at the grocery store, but when I told her it's actually Visa and the store's loyalty program selling her info, she just gave me this blank stare. My buddy who does marketing for a car dealership confirmed they buy lists from credit card companies to spot people who are buying baby stuff, then target them for minivan ads. It's wild how people always aim their fear at the government when the real creepy stuff is happening through their phone apps and store cards.
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