Use a loyalty card or digital coupon when grocery shopping? You're being tracked.
Have a loyalty card with a big grocer? Or maybe you’ve downloaded the app to take advantage of savings with digital coupons.
Well, chances are it has not only tracked your purchases but used your shopping habits to glean data about you like your income, education, ethnicity and the number of children or pets you have.
And that very data that you have consented to sharing, is reaping profits for grocers. Grocers like Kroger, Walmart and Safeway have their very own retail media networks, which are advertising platforms that help them not only reach out to their customers but also allow them to sell data to other data brokers or advertising technology companies.
What data is being tracked
So, what are companies tracking when you shop?
Depending on your grocer’s privacy policy, they can collect a lot. Stores can collect your geolocation information, age, marital or family status, languages spoken, education, gender, ethnicity and race, employment information, or other demographic information.
They are also looking at how you interact with their website – how you browse, what your battery and signal strength are and how much time you spend on the website. If you interact with their social media channels, they will collect your profile picture, social media handles, email address, gender, age group, networks, friends list, language, birthday, education, work history, interest and likes.
Some grocers collect sensory data like CCTV recordings and recordings of a consumer’s voice when they contact their customer service. In some locations, they’ll collect biometric information like facial recognition data for security purposes.
Can I opt out of tracking?
Yes, you can. The process can be a little tedious, but you will have to look through a company's privacy policy to understand your ability to opt out of tracking and selling your data. Some grocers will still allow you to receive loyalty rewards while not being tracked.
On the other hand, you could pay cash and opt out of a loyalty card program, but the savings incentives won’t be available to you.
What are my data rights?
Depending on what state you live in, you may have very comprehensive data rights that allow you to opt out from being tracked, or give you the right to request your data.
California, Connecticut, Colorado, Utah and Virginia already have laws that allow consumers to get control of their data. The International Association of Privacy Professionals tracks data privacy legislation nationwide and shows that states like Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Tennessee and Texas are also following suit in enhancing consumer data privacy.
I requested my data: Grocers like Kroger, Walmart collect your shopping data. What I found when requesting mine.
Amritpal Kaur Sandhu-Longoria reports for Paste BN’s Money team. Send her your tips at asandhulongoria@usatoday.com, @AmritpalKSL, or on Signal at (279) 789-2462, or fill out a form here.