American Express Plan to Tag and Track Humans Exposed, Shamed

(Image used under: Creative Commons 2.0 [SRC])

Thanks to the good work of the people over at Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering - CASPIAN, a plot by American Express to patent technology that would "identify people, track their movements, and observe their behavior" has been exposed. According to their article:

That patent application, titled "Method and System for Facilitating a Shopping Experience," describes a Minority Report style blueprint for monitoring consumers through RFID-enabled objects, like the American Express Blue Card

The funny part is that when American Express top brass learned that they'd been discovered, they scrambled into damage control mode and met with the leaders of Caspian promising to "ensure that any people-tracking plans be accompanied by language requiring consumer notice and consent". They also promised to make a spychip-free version of the card if a customer asks for it.

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First, always learn what coverage you get for free from the manufacturer.
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