MoviePass Wants To Gather a Whole Lot of Data About Its Users (fortune.com) 162
An anonymous reader writes: MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe thinks his service's rapid growth will continue, projecting earlier this month that MoviePass will have 5 million subscribers by the end of 2018, and account for around 20% of all movie ticket purchases. But some of those future subscribers might be concerned about his company's tactics, which Lowe recently said includes tracking users' location before and after a trip to the movies. Lowe's comments, originally reported by Media Play News, were made at the Entertainment Finance Forum on March 2 in Hollywood. They came during a panel titled "Data is the New Oil: How Will MoviePass Monetize It?" Lowe's answer to that question, in part, was that "our bigger vision is to build a night at the movies," including by guiding users to a meal before or after seeing a film.
Lowe said that was possible because "we get an enormous amount of information. Since we mail you the card, we know your home address . . . we know the makeup of that household, the kids, the age groups, the income. It's all based on where you live. It's not that we ask that. You can extrapolate that. "Then," Lowe continued, "Because you are being tracked in your GPS by the phone . . . we watch how you drive from home to the movies. We watch where you go afterwards, and so we know the movies you watch. We know all about you. We don't sell that data. What we do is we use that data to market film."
Lowe said that was possible because "we get an enormous amount of information. Since we mail you the card, we know your home address . . . we know the makeup of that household, the kids, the age groups, the income. It's all based on where you live. It's not that we ask that. You can extrapolate that. "Then," Lowe continued, "Because you are being tracked in your GPS by the phone . . . we watch how you drive from home to the movies. We watch where you go afterwards, and so we know the movies you watch. We know all about you. We don't sell that data. What we do is we use that data to market film."
Share an account, so easy! (Score:4, Interesting)
Get a card sent to a P.O. Box, pay using a prepaid card. Put the app on a cheap secondary phone which doesn't even need service. Use the theater's WiFi to confirm you're there.
That way, you can share an account (i.e. card + burner phone) among an entire family or group of neighbors and friends. Turn off the phone when not "in use" to turn off the tracking function.
Suck on that, Mitchie-boy.
Re: (Score:1, Flamebait)
And this is why we can't have nice things.
Of course MP tracks user data. THAT'S HOW THEY PAY FOR THE FUCKING TICKETS!!!!
MP gives people hundreds of dollars of value for $10 a movie and it's fuckers like this guy above that shits all over everything, drives them out of business, and ruins it for the rest of everyone else.
If you don't want MP tracking some of your data, THEN DON'T SIGN UP FOR THE SERVICE. But stop fucking it up for everyone else.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Share an account, so easy! (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
They're not stealing. That's the point.
But hey, YOU got very cheap movies for a month or two and apparently, that's all that matters.
Again, it's fuckers like you...
Re: (Score:2)
Is it against the TOS to use a burner phone for their service ?
Re: (Score:2)
Is it against the TOS to use a burner phone for their service ?
If you're using it in order to share your account, then yes I'm pretty sure it's against their TOS. Entirely expoitable, but in violation of the TOS. If you want to use a burner phone and NOT share your account, I'm sure that's fine.
Re: (Score:2)
I will not be tracked around town, so I turn down such offers or spoof them if I'm forced. sometimes there is no opt-out. I never share location data with web services.
FWIW, here's an except from an email MoviePass sent me late last night:
The MoviePass app currently uses standard location services capabilities on an opt-in basis. There are only two events that would prompt MoviePass to identify a member’s location. These include when a member requests to search for theaters nearby and when a member requests to check into a theater. Both events require both the app to be open and for the member to request the action.
MoviePass does not track and has never tracked or collected data on the location of our members at any point when the app is not active. In our recent update with Apple, we removed the the background tracking capabilities. MoviePass does not use and has never used this feature.
Re: (Score:1)
Your example and his are not the same. You're saying someone is lying for free food. He's saying there's a way to not be tracked ***before and after*** purchasing a ticket.
One is nowhere near like the other. But you already knew that.
Re: (Score:2)
So AC, while they're not analogous, they're close enough. Things like MP are trades and when enough cheap fuckers steal the business isn't sustainable.
Re: (Score:2)
You're saying someone is lying for free food. He's saying there's a way to not be tracked ***before and after*** purchasing a ticket.
He only mentioned the ability to block tracking as a means to sharing the account. He's suggesting violating the TOS and "lying" to MoviePass by pretending different people are one to get cheap movies. The two cases are a lot alike.
Re: (Score:1)
Sounds like you'd blame ad blockers for the proliferation of ads on the internet?
Re:Share an account, so easy! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Fuckers like YOU who allow the corporations to track us...
I got a MoviePass subscription as a gift. I never would have bought it for myself, but now that I have it I really enjoy it and use it all the time. At the rate I'm going, my newfound movie habit will have cost my brother about $1.75/show. That saves me a little if the alternative is a full price ticket; it saves me nothing if the alternative is staying home. In either case, I'm willing to disclose to MoviePass that I'm in the theater parking lot immediately before the show in exchange for my prepaid ticket
Re: (Score:1)
No, once they get enough of you people hooked, then they start jacking the prices up. Then, thanks to people like you who supported this intrusive method of marketing and made it successful, everyone else selling the same product jumps on the band wagon and the rest of us end up not having any choice but to be subject to this type of tracking. Christ, pretty soon you won't even be able to file your taxes or start your car without some App because people like you jump on this bullshit like it is crack.
Re: (Score:2)
I know I should avoid replying to AC, especially tripe ones yourself, but how exactly am I "spoiled and entitled" when I'm the one arguing against theft?
I'm not asking for anyone to GIVE me anything. That's the fucker above.
BTW, you don't know how many people are cheating MP. I don't either, but I'm willing to bet it's a whole lot more than 1%.
Re: (Score:2)
No one is so stupid as to think giving away personal data for cheap movie tickets is a good idea.
I'm that stupid. I also let my grocery store track my habits in exchange for slightly discounted goods and I traded my email address to the dispensary for slightly discounted weed. Some people treat their data as if it was sacred. That's fine for them, but I treat few things as sacred. I don't broadcast my info indiscriminately, but I occasionally trade pieces of it. If MoviePass wants to know that I was in the theater's parking lot immediately before the show, I'm willing to tell them that in exchange for
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm not sure adblockers are analogous. I'm happy to pay for movies. I want good theaters to survive. Though I only go for special movies, or very visual movies. For most I'm happy to wait for a Netflix DVD. What I don't want is being spied on by sleazy "analytics" companies.
Do I use ad blockers? No. I use a small HOSTS file and almost never see ads. I don't block any ads. If they're on the website I visit I'll see them. But very few are. Do I owe it to websites to let Google follow me all ove
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1, Interesting)
And this is why we can't have nice things.
Gotta find a scapegoat, eh?
Of course MP tracks user data. THAT'S HOW THEY PAY FOR THE FUCKING TICKETS!!!!
Too bad. Why don't you go have a cry in the corner, little boy.
MP gives people hundreds of dollars of value
No they don't.
it's fuckers like this guy above that shits all over everything, drives them out of business, and ruins it for the rest of everyone else
Nope, it's cheapskate, acquiescing shits like you that caused this fucking privacy and drip feed mess of spying, data collection/resale, security breaches, identity theft, DRM, DLC, microtransactions and wasted bandwidth from companies who want you reliant upon and streaming from their servers 24/7.
If you don't want MP tracking some of your data, THEN DON'T SIGN UP FOR THE SERVICE. But stop fucking it up for everyone else.
Nah, I think I'd rather fuck it up for you the same way you fucked everything up for the security/privacy co
Re: (Score:2)
Of course MP tracks user data. THAT'S HOW THEY PAY FOR THE FUCKING TICKETS!!!!
Well, I don't have a Movie Pass, but your post made me curious, so I went to their web site to check, and that's absolutely not what they say. The important thing - and the reason why you're in the wrong - is that there is no informed consent from the customer's part to an exchange of privacy for low prices.
The Movie Pass web site doesn't state anywhere that tracking is the price you pay for low ticket prices. They don't sell you a $10 MP if you consent to full tracking, but raise the price to $15 if you on
Re: Share an account, so easy! (Score:3, Insightful)
Thatâ(TM)s absolute nonsense. There are plenty of businesses that operate just fine in places like Europe who value privacy. Note the value part, every Euro company is extremely concerned about privacy because people will notice and take offense if their info is sold. It requires no legislation, just a culture that actually cares about privacy.
Meanwhile in the US, you have companies all over the place violating our privacy in every corner and assholes like you who claim this is good, thatâ(TM)s he
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Yeah .... that will work perfectly.
Except for the part that you need a real credit card (not a giftcard) and you need to cell phone service to "check-in" for a movie (which must be done within 400 meters of the theater).
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
I was unable to actually buy a movie pass thru either the app or the web site.
So no good either way for me.
Re:Share an account, so easy! (Score:4, Insightful)
Get a card sent to a P.O. Box, pay using a prepaid card. Put the app on a cheap secondary phone which doesn't even need service. Use the theater's WiFi to confirm you're there.
That way, you can share an account (i.e. card + burner phone) among an entire family or group of neighbors and friends. Turn off the phone when not "in use" to turn off the tracking function.
Suck on that, Mitchie-boy.
Fuck that! I'll just spend my money elsewhere.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
It's bitztream the autism-hating, custom EpiPen-hating, Musk-hating, Qualcomm-hating, Firefox tabs-hating, Slashdot editors-hating Slashdot troll!
So...... (Score:3)
omg (Score:1)
I'm an investor - Mitch, would you please SHUT UP? Your growth is going to stop cold if this news spreads any further
You're not supposed to run your mouth about how you're mining data from your customers, stupid.
Good. (Score:1)
There always needs to be a disclaimer, of course, but this implied "scary intent" is laughable.
If the movie theaters want to know all about moviephiles and are willing to pay these people via the discounted/free activities they are super-invested in anyway, I think it's a great trade. Isn't that the basic idea behind grocery store discount cards as well?
Re: (Score:2)
Store discount cards don't track your location, and mine are in the name of Guy Fawkes, 666 Grape Lane (look up the origin of "Grape Lane")... ... ...
But it would be relatively easy to turn off the app entirely when not in use via Android settings. It only needs one location -- when you're at the theater, to keep you from sharing the card. (See my previous post for a way to cheat that too.)
Re: (Score:2)
> Store discount cards don't track your location
They do when the data points are tracked between locations. I don't see the point of splitting hairs over the timing granularity. The the intent of the cards is the same. To track volume, frequency and location. Again, this is just a more advanced version of a pedestrian practice that has existed for decades. Trying to avoid the tracking, seems self-defeating. The lack of basic attention to scripts, the hack directors, the wooden acting, is approaching horr
Re: (Score:3)
I don't shop at groceries that gate decent prices behind loyalty cards.
Any assurance that they're not going to sell the data is only good until the next merger.
Meanwhile, I continue to avoid the movie theatres apart from a few select movies, for which I reserve a seat in advance in a low occupancy theatre that is too expensive for the masses to bring their squalling children. Like once every year or two. If I just can't wait to get it at home where the experience is 1000% better.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
except recessions usually hit the poor much harder than the rich. Think about it, investors have diversity in their portfolios such things include commodities that do not drop as much in value (such as properties). Also consider that no investor worth his salt has absolutely everything invested in the market, meaning that most have rather large nest eggs sitting in offshore accounts just ready to reinvest and "earn" more money as the market recovers. No, a recession will do absolutely nothing to the majori
Re: (Score:2)
He seems proud of it. (Score:1)
And it wouldn't surprise me one bit if the dumb-as-a-doorknob morons who wear surveillance equipment on them at all times find this "cool" somehow. Their minds are completely gone at this point. There's no point in getting upset or joke about it anymore. They're lost. The "general public" has become so dumbed down that we will never see anything nice again.
Re: (Score:3)
The thing is, nobody cares, nobody sees any negative effects of these practices and as long as it stays like that, they will be happy to support cheaper goods in exchange for private data.
Re:So? (Score:4, Insightful)
Better yet, use it in a way that gets you the bennies but deprives the company of your data. i.e. turn the app off when not in use, or install it on an old "burner" phone.
Remember, the only people you're hurting are Wall Street banks and VCs who sink their money into services where you're the product. Yeah, if enough people do it, MoviePass will go bust, but might as well get a nice run with Wall Street money while it lasts.
How much is this data worth? (Score:2, Informative)
An even better dirty secret is this: That kind of data isn't all that valuable.
Movie theaters already know that you go to dinner before a movie. That's why movie theaters are often parts of malls; they provide an audience of people who want to see a film and are willing to get something to eat as well. They don't need to pay MoviePass to get your GPS coordinates.
MoviePass isn't making money; they are losing money trying to make themselves well known and sell out before they run out of cash and investors.
Re: (Score:1)
#####MoviePass isn't making money; they are losing money trying to make themselves well known and sell out before they run out of cash and investors.#####
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! You just can't make this shit up. So this is what our economy has become now, hum? I wonder if we will do an Albania '97 and end up with an economy based on Ponzi schemes? Boy will that be fun!
Forget Asia, we deserve to get owned by every 2 bit shithole country at this point.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
How? Even if they only work twelve hours a day and spend three hours on transit, that only leaves nine hours for sleeping, getting ready for work, and everything else.
Re: (Score:2)
You work 16 hours a day? You think other people "only" work 12 hours a day? Do you live in a third-world country?
Most people in Canada with normal jobs work between 35 and 40 hours per week.
Re: (Score:2)
You work 16 hours a day? You think other people "only" work 12 hours a day? Do you live in a third-world country?
I average... one hour of "TV"* per day. I don't work in a 3-rd world country, I work in south florida (oh wait, that's kinda a 3-rd-world country, or at least, it feels so to me)
Let's see..
My "40 hours a week" tech job really maps to 50 hours, because of the typical IT bullshit. Y'all know what I'm on about here.
Then there's the commute -- I spent an average of THREE hours a day trapped in my mini. I like driving, but this *isn't* driving, it's being trapped in south florida commute hell - Palmetto Expr
Re: (Score:1)
1) Move closer to work.
2) 50+15hr = 65hr/wk, not 100hr as the person who started this string claims.
Re: (Score:1)
And that is why America is doing so much better, than Canada. From looking ot our door log, and we require people to check in to open the door and swipe their card on the way out, our employees are averaging just over 90 hours a week. There's a reason Seattle is doing so successful as compared to the rest of the world. We're not lazy.
Re:Most of my friends work Seattle Hundreds... (Score:4, Insightful)
What Earthly good is money if you have no time to enjoy it? There's a fine line between industry and sado-masochism. 90hr/wk is the latter, plus after a certain time at the office, you stop being effective.
This isn't being industrious -- this is a martydom contest about who can stay in the office longest, even if they're playing on their phones 50% of the time.
"Success" is having time for family and leisure as well as making a difference. Working 90hr/wk for a bunch of people who'll likely kick you out the door at age 50 is just sad.
Re: (Score:2)
Enjoy your Karshi.
Re: (Score:2)
Damn stupid Slashdot... nerd site can't even handle unicode in 2018.
"Enjoy your Karoshi [wikipedia.org]"
Re: (Score:2)
And that is why America is doing so much better, than Canada. From looking ot our door log, and we require people to check in to open the door and swipe their card on the way out, our employees are averaging just over 90 hours a week. There's a reason Seattle is doing so successful as compared to the rest of the world. We're not smart enough to realize we're being exploited
FTFY
And I bet you don't get paid extra for all those extra hours. You know what? You keep right on being "successful"; I'll keep my 40 hr/week job and enjoy the rest of the week however I choose. If that means I am lazy then so be it.
Re: (Score:1)
Are you being sarcastic or joking?
The average work year is 1783 hours.
https://stats.oecd.org/Index.a... [oecd.org]
The average travel time to work in the United States is 25.4 minutes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Let's make that 30 minutes to include time to walk from the parking lot.
Some fields work over time often. Some fields work overtime occasionally. But most jobs are 45 hours or less.
Increasingly people work from home 1-2 days a week so you can drop the travel time for them.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Netflix's AI can't even suggest TV shows... (Score:2)
Wanted feature in Mobile OS: (Score:4, Interesting)
run every app in its own container where I can specify what the external world looks like from within the container. So: GPS some location/track that I have chosen (regardless of the hardware GPS even being switched on), sound & camera virtual and maybe hearing/seeing some pre-recorded rubbish, contacts database - maybe unique to the container, ditto call log, ... Ie I want to control what the app perceives through the 'phones sensors.
Re: (Score:2)
run every app in its own container where I can specify what the external world looks like from within the container.
So much yes!
It's amazing that the app can demand access to everything (address book, camera, sms, phone calls, location, etc.) and my choices are accept or don't install. Why isn't there an easy option: "Accept all access but report having only 1 address book entry and location in the middle of the north pole"?
Re: (Score:3)
>"It's amazing that the app can demand access to everything (address book, camera, sms, phone calls, location, etc.) and my choices are accept or don't install. Why isn't there an easy option"
Google was about to introduce PER APP permissions that allowed you to deny single permissions and developers revolted and Google caved in and ditched it. Doesn't matter anyway, because they would then design the apps to just say "OK, if you won't give me your contacts, then I will just not work".
However, you can st
Re: (Score:1)
It is sad how she is going to be mocked for the rest of her life because of how Disney used her? I assume that's a her. It's hard to tell.
Value and Disclosure (Score:1)
For example, a 5% discount and tracking all my purchases? No thanks.
But $10/month all you can watch? For someone who likes to see a lot of movies, this might well be a good trade.
As for myself, having to make the purchase at the theater is a deal-breaker. Having experienced the convenience of reserving seats ahead of time, I don't think I'll ever go back to the old way.
Fucking Creepy (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
"If I were a serial killer I would be applying for a job at this company.
If you changed "serial killer" to "highly focussed professional stalker", you'd get hired.
Re:Beats stalking for (Score:1)
Build a movie night?! (Score:2)
"our bigger vision is to build a night at the movies," including by guiding users to a meal before or after seeing a film.
Um.. isn't that how movie night works already? I mean, when I was 7 and saw Star Wars in Plaza I in Plaza las Americas, PR, there was a nice dress-up restaurant called "Sancho Panza" right next to the theater. And a Baskin-Robbins to the other side. Dinner and a movie, done.
WHen I went to see Empire Strikes Back at the same theater 3 years later, Sancho Panza gave way to Burger King and Arby's. The Baskin Robbins was still there. Dinner and a move, done.
When I went to see Return of the Jedi 3 years af
Re: (Score:2)
Derrrrp, that's my point...... duuuude.
It's *already* like this, and has been for fucking AGES. There's almost *always* a restaurant or six, and an arcade, and an ice-cream joint, and clothing stores and ... I could go on 'til i VOMIT.
What else is there left to glob on to a movie night?
Maybe when they fully legalize weed* I'll pick up a few magic cookies at the concession stand before I go into the room. That way while the previews and ads play I get baaaaaaaaaaked, while supporting the moviehouse (That's
Another Reason Not to Own a Smart Phone (Score:4, Interesting)
I do not own a smart phone. I do not even own a dumb phone. I can still order movie tickets from Fandango via my PC.
No, I am not a Luddite. My entire 40+ year career was in computer software. I just do not have the need to be in constant contact 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Re: (Score:2)
I guess this is a typical business model nowadays...
Re: (Score:2)
Well, using your PC instead of a smartphone certainly won't shield you from having Web vendors learning, and sharing, tons of personal data on you!
Re: (Score:2)
I have a smartphone and it's always on me. I don't look at it a lot of the time, but if a relative needs to call me in an emergency (like they had an accident, which has happened a couple of times), or if I need a map and directions to get somewhere, or if I need to call 112, or if I see something I want to take a photo of, it's there.
Yes, we know. (Score:3)
https://yro.slashdot.org/story... [slashdot.org] -- 5 whole days ago
MovieFone had this tracking data 20 years ago (Score:1)
Tracking fail (Score:2)
"MoviePass wants access to your location"
[Deny]
Re: (Score:2)
Then the service goes away.
We need a law (Score:3)
Since so many of the sheeple seem intent on trading every scrap of personal information about themselves to marketers, it's obvious attempts to make aggressive data gathering illegal are going to fail for lack of support.
However, there is a kind of legislation might actually be popular enough to succeed. Enact data protection laws that include heavy penalties for failing to protect consumer data. When a corporation is as careless with consumer information as Wells Fargo was, for example, the company/bank/whatever should pay a hefty fine and be responsible for damages. In addition, the board of directors should actually face the strong probability that one or more of them will go to prison.
We have already seen massive data leaks that potentially have national security implications. If it's true, as we are repeatedly told, that severe penalties are a deterrent, then people responsible for such leaks should pay a heavy personal and financial price. They assemble detailed information about large segments of the population for their own ends. Then, because there are no real consequences for failing to protect these vast stores of information, they leave it vulnerable to any foreign spy agency with enough interest to go after it. Or they simply release it themselves due to carelessness, greed and stupidity.
Re: (Score:2)
commentsubject (Score:2)
We don't sell that data. What we do is we use that data to market film.
YOU'RE THE ONE IT WOULD BE SOLD TO.
Does that line really pacify people? Do you actually feel better every time they say that? "We don't outright sell the data [to competitors]"? All this does is skip a middleman.
It's like a bedframe factory saying "We don't sell these oak trees to other factories." whoopdeedoo, besides helping your rival it'd be an inefficient supply line.
Re: (Score:1)