Law Prof Sees Privacy Problems with MasterCard's Online Shopping Mall
Some privacy advocates are expressing qualms about the kind of technology behind MasterCard’s new shopping mall.
MasterCard Marketplace will tailor its product offerings based on how customers use the site, the New York Times reports. Site visitors will first be asked to select their favorite retailers, and then a computer algorithm will assess their site use and predict their interests.
Among the privacy experts expressing misgivings is University of Pennsylvania law professor Anita Allen. As consumers give up private information for short-term gains, she said, “we turn into citizens who live in a world where we have no control over our own data.”
MasterCard said it assures customers’ privacy, in part because consumers are required to enroll on their own. MasterCard also said it will give retailers batches of customers who share similar demographic characteristics, rather than the names of specific customers.
