So recently, I went into a shipping service store, that is well known, etc etc. I walked in, asked a question, then walked out. I did nothing else.

A couple days later, I get an email from them, to the email address that I have used for them in the past. The email wants me to take a survey.

Now, since I have made a shipping label online with them before once, then took that label (attached to a parcel) in the store, which was then scanned, I can only assume that this recent email I got was the result of facial recognition data gathering.

I am an extremely privacy conscious person, but this tactic evades even me, as the only way to avoid it, would be to never set foot into their store.

I really really hate myself too because the email I used with them is one of my personal-name emails and now they have that. I did that before I became privacy conscious. I can only imagine how other people feel, who are much deeper in the hole than a random facial recognition incident.

Have any of your ever experienced this? where you walked into some place and then got an email? It’s so creepy…

  • tylerh@kbin.social
    3·
    1 year ago

    Agree on the creepy side, though there’s other possibilities besides facial recognition, namely:

    • They buy data from a data broker. Said data broker bought (or got) location data from any number of apps you have installed on your phone that monitor your location data.
    • They associated your phone’s Wifi MAC (even if you don’t connect to their Wifi) or a bluetooth MAC (of bluetooth headphones, watch, or other device) to you previously, then saw it again
    • Unlucky_Boot3467@lemmy.worldOP
      2·
      1 year ago

      first one is not plausible, I allow no location data to a single app, especially not any closed source apps

      Second one also not plausible. I have MAC randomization.

  • Matt/D@lemmy.mlEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    Do places like this do facial recognition for marketing purposes? It seems like they have much easier ways to track their customers.

    Was the survey you received about your recent visit? Or is it possible that it’s a coincidence that they sent it to you after you went in?

    In any case, wearing a face mask might help you from being recognized by cameras.

  • DirigibleProtein@aussie.zoneEnglish
    21·
    1 year ago

    Could also be Bluetooth or wifi recognition of your phone, I know of several supermarkets that combine this data with rewards cards to recognise you and track you.

  • JoeKrogan@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    Not happened to me but I’d say learn from it and make a new account with fake info and unsubscribe from them and ask to be removed from their database.

    Its more than likely the barcode triggered the system

    • Unlucky_Boot3467@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      i didnt scan any barcode when i went in recently. I was saying that I did before (a couple years ago i think), which could be how to attached facial data to email, if indeed they did do it the association that with facial data