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by DanBC 3667 days ago
Should I use a disposable name and a disposable address when I buy physical goods from an online retailer?
2 comments

I actually start to think you should, without joking. At least the name.

If you look at the past 5 years, there is almost not a single major website that hasn't been hacked and hasn't leaked personal data. Not only do I see no sign of improvement, but it is rather accelerating. Leaking information on 30m+ people is now becoming common and barely makes the news outside of a few specialized websites like HN.

If you have a better alternative than feeding garbage data to websites who want to collect data they won't need (why would an online retailer give a shit that they are shipping a product to someone called Mr X rather than Mr Y?), I want to hear it.

Why not? What's the cost? What's the benefit? I create new accounts for all sites I use, including hacker news, every year or so.