[ImPostingOnHN]

> Doesn't your (proverbial) Costco membership card track every time you enter and leave the store

No (you have to use it at the register for Costco to know you were there),

and they don't track your every movement in store either,

and they don't track your every movement outside the store either,

and there isn't a standard way to say "I don't want this" which they nonetheless choose to ignore.

[treetalker]

> No (you have to use it at the register for Costco to know you were there),

Not the case where I am: Costco scans everyone's card upon entry into the store.

> and they don't track your every movement in store either,

It might: Costco certainly uses security cameras, and it's possible that Costco may be using some sort of AI / facial recognition software alongside the cameras. Perhaps someone who has worked with Costco in security / loss prevention could chime in.

> and they don't track your every movement outside the store either,

Probably true, although who knows whether Costco purchases data about its members from brokers?

> and there isn't a standard way to say "I don't want this" which they nonetheless choose to ignore.

I think you're talking about the equivalent of cookies in the real world, in which case I'd generally agree.

[ImPostingOnHN]

> Costco scans everyone's card upon entry into the store.

Not the case where I am: You just ask for a "code 99", because they are legally required to sell alcohol to nonmembers where I am. I'm sure there are other loopholes too ("I want to browse to see if I want to join"), but nonetheless, no tracking for me.

> it's possible that Costco may be using some sort of AI / facial recognition software alongside the cameras

It's possible that they have a magic genie that grants wishes to shoppers who rub the right pallet, but if we have no evidence of either, we need not entertain such hypotheticals.

> Probably true, although who knows whether Costco purchases data about its members from brokers?

Those brokers are literally the people to whom we're comparing Costco. If Costco must outsource the act in question to the brokers even in the analogy, then Costco is not analogous to the brokers.