I used Booking.com when I walked the Camino de Santiago last year. It’s entirely on-line so they have my email and (in case I get locked out) my phone number. What do they do with my private information? Glad you asked, they sent an email with the updated privacy policy – the company will give my phone number and email to advertisers. But what if I don’t want them to?
“The hard truth: If you disagree with this Privacy Statement, you should discontinue using our services. If you agree with our Privacy Statement, then you’re all set to book your next stay. Let the good times roll!”
Well, that’s refreshingly honest.
Joe Doakes
It’s almost refreshing that someone out there has the integrity not to blow smoke up your pant cuff…
Sorry, JD, that’s a result of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You just described a textbook example of it.
BTW, how’d you like el camino?
I have so want to walk the Camino de Santiago.
The last time I was in Spain, I went to the running of the bulls in 1978. Franco had just died and the ETA put on a demonstration in Pamplona. In response the Greys (Facist police) opened fire killing one person. The festival was shut down – but since my buddies and I were drinking in an underground bar, we didn’t know it.
The bartender threw us out two minutes before curfew and we couldn’t get transportation. So we had to walk through town.
Unfortunately for us, the Greys were on the hunt for curfew breakers. They would race around town in Ford vans chasing people, so we took refuge in a crowded bus station. There were people just getting off work there. There were shoppers, festival goers, kids, grandmas – but when the Greys raced up, they beat everyone.
They worked at it, taking turns beating people when their arms got tired.
I got pretty banged up.
We finally made it out and when we crossed into France near Irun, the army pulled railroad ties over the tracks to seal off the country.
Some when some antifa a**hole talks about fascism, some of us know how little they know.
I wonder if this shameless abuse might hasten the re-emergence of human to human commerce? All transactions on paper; no electronic transmission or storage of any data.
Given that most millennials are disturbingly inured to the loss of privacy (in most cases they don’t even understand what it is they lost), I doubt it. But it’s a nice thought.
Maybe a niche market?