*How* much do they know about me??

I got to thinking the other day, which is always a very bad idea, but there you go, sometimes I just start and then can't stop. So, I picked a company that I have dealings with, and decided to work out how much they know about me.

My address - no big deal there of course, but they could then find out how much my house is worth, and probably how much I paid for it, and when.

My phone number - even if I didn't get it to them (and I probably did) it's going to be easy enough to get.

My age - fairly closely, though if I'm ever asked for my birth date I give it a year or so out.

My gender. Pretty easy, given my name.

Now, that's all basic stuff. Let's see what else they can work out.

Marital status

If I'm dating someone, with (potentially) a rough indication as to their age

Physical appearance

If I have any medical conditions

Any allergies

Drug related issues

How healthy I am

If I am an alcoholic

Race

If I've got pets

If I live on my own, or have children

If I have children, how old they are

How often I have friends over

If I'm vegetarian or not

My religion

If I have any pets

If I have a car

If I prefer a shower or bath

How often I shower or bathe

What I like to read

What I like to watch on television, which channels and when

(Potentially) my sexual activity and sexual preference

My hobbies

My disposable income

Friends birthdays

If my parents are alive or not

How many children I know, or are close to, and their ages

Size of my house

If I have a garden, and how large it is

How susceptable I am to advertising

If I go on holiday, and probably where

How much I drive

Have you figured out which company I'm talking about here? If you'd said Facebook, you'd be wrong. Ditto if you said Amazon, but I can understand why you would have said either company. Similarly, it's not Google either. In fact, it's not primarily an internet company at all - it's Sainsburys. All of the things that I've mentioned above they could work out by watching by buying patterns via my loyalty card. Of course, the more that I shop in one chain, the more they'll know. I'm also guessing that I haven't actually even scratched the surface of what they could logically deduce from what I buy.

Suddenly, what Facebook/Google/et al know really rather palls into insignificance doesn't it! If you can think of anything else a supermarket could work out, based on your buying patterns, please add them into the comments - I'd love to see what I've missed out.

 

Comments

[LibrarianELF]

How about what kind of technology you have in your home - do you buy DVD or Blu-ray, X-box games or Playstation etc.

And what size clothes you wear - which I guess could lead to guesses about height and weight. And if you buy hair-dye then their idea of what you look like gets stronger - more so if include regular makeup purchases such as lipstick.

[Phil Bradley]

Yes, good point. Hadn't thought about the technology. I thought about clothes and size when I was talking about what I looked like - they could probably work out that I don't have much hair, since I never buy combs and only need a teeny amount of shampoo. But yes, if you buy certain shades of lipstick and makeup they could probably take a good guess at what shade your skin is. Then if you add in the colour of any clothes you buy...

[Liz Broomfield]

How old your pets are and whether they live indoors or out. Whether you support the RSPB (they sell their bird food and other cheaper bird food). Who does the cooking in your household. How physically active you are. If someone has been unwell recently (lucozade and white fish!).

[Frank Daniels]

All this so-called knowledge is just induction, not deduction. One does not always buy for oneself anyway: think carers. To avoid having to worry about this sort of thing do not use loyalty cards, or debit/credit cards in supermarkets. Just use cash. Then start thinking abut what is going on in Newcastle Libraries and elsewhere....

[Dumpling]

This is why I've always refused to have a loyalty card of any kind. Also because, if I give that information away (e.g. by taking part in surveys), I'm only doing it so I can get something back for me (vouchers or cash payments).
Mercenary, moi? Why, yes! :D

[Debby Raven]

If you have any allergies; Your tv watching habits (eg who your favourite tv chefs are!)

[Megan Roberts]

I remember a rumour of someone trying to make a claim from a supermarket after a fall in one of their shops and the supermarket trying to get out of a payout by claiming that the person was an alcoholic, based on their reward card activity. Whether it is true or not is another matter, though!

[Phil Bradley]

Frank - your reputation does of course precede you, but thanks for taking the time to drop by and prove its accuracy.

Dumpling - quite so, and don't blame you at all. As you point out, which not everyone gets - you don't have to have loyalty cards & this post was really designed to point out our differing attitudes towards privacy.

Debby - good points!

Megan - that wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

[Seth Sevenyoln]

If any of your pets have special conditions, if you prefer are an environmentalist, how often you have company, if you spoil your pets/kids or not.

[モンクレール レディース ダウン]

Thats some great basics there, already knew some of that, but you can always learn more. I doubt a "youngin" could put together such information as mario suggested. Maybe he's just trying to be "controversial? lol