Ocean Medallion...The Ultimate Data-Mining Tool.

[dearinger]

My comment wasn’t meant to put people on the defensive or give the impression that bad people are after your personal information. I just wanted to inform how the tech worked and how my previous employer used it for marketing purposes. 

For those of you in the EU that have an issue with all of this data collection, you are free to file a GDPR request to find out what they know and then request it to be deleted. 

More info on this below from the CCL site:

 

Your rights concerning your personal data

You have rights over how we use personal data about you, and can exercise those rights by contacting our Data Protection Officer, Privacy & Data Protection Team, Carnival House, 100 Harbour Parade, Southampton, SO15 1ST, or call 0344 338 8650, or email privacy@carnivalukgroup.com. In some cases our ability to uphold these rights for you may depend upon our obligations to process personal data for security, safety, fraud prevention reasons, or because processing is necessary to deliver the services you have requested. Where this is the case, we will inform you of specific details in response to your request.

Withdrawing consent to processing

Where we have obtained your consent for processing of personal data about you, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. Where we process personal data about you in ways for which your consent is not required, for example to record your cruise history, you may ask us to cease processing, or restrict the nature of the processing, if you wish.

Accessing the personal data we hold about you

You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. This includes obtaining personal data about you in electronic form to provide to a third party should you wish to do so.

 

 

For those of us in the USA and most other countries, we don’t have the same privacy laws in our how data is used. 

Obviously this topic is near and dear to my heart (and job), so if you find all of this a bit much please ignore my ramblings. I am pretty far from the tin foil hat guys, as I’ve accepted that my data is constantly being collected and do what I can to limit that. 

[rebeltech8]

46 minutes ago, dearinger said:

Obviously this topic is near and dear to my heart (and job), so if you find all of this a bit much please ignore my ramblings. 

 

Dearinger,  I appreciate your input on this topic.  Tonight, I will start researching Google Beacon and Apple iBeacon.  I am in the information security field and am always looking for ways to keep our company and customer data secure.  

 

Anymore, if you use technology at all (cell phones, tablets, or even buy stuff on line) your data is out there never to be retrieved.    

 

Some things we we can do to keep our data safe.

- if you don’t have to use your real identity, don’t.  Go get a new email address with a fake name... how is anyone going to know if I am Fred Smith or George Brown and quite frankly, why do I care?

- Go pay for an email address for the emails that really count and only use it for personal communication you want to keep private like your financial info.  And make sure it allows encryption.

- use pass phrases instead of passwords.

- don’t use the same pass phrases on different websites. And don’t use your work password any place other than work.

- use a password application like LastPass to save your passwords so you don’t have to remember them all.

- if an app asks if it can use your microphone or camera think about if it is really necessary.  Why does a flash light application need the microphone?

- finally, Facebook and most other social media sites are not looking out for you.  Dropping Facebook was the most liberating thing I ever did.

- when a business asks for your phone number or email address, tell them you don’t have one.  They will still take your money.

 

those were the ones that hit my head...  just protect your self as much as possible on line because no one else will.

 

wow, this discussion has taken a strange turn. 😀

[KeepCalmBearOn]

4 minutes ago, rebeltech8 said:

Some things we we can do to keep our data safe......

 

Use a VPN to connect to websites.

[Thrak]

My Capital One Venture card offers the use of Eno. Eno generates a bogus card number, verification number, and expiration date and will give a separate one for each vendor. I tend to use that rather than my actual credit card number for online purchases. Works well.

[pms4104]

4 hours ago, shrii said:

I don't like when a waiter gets to know you too well because I may not want my usual drink .I Think they should ask before they make it

I think it's the level of familiarity that I find off-putting.  I still have most of my marbles and I'm perfectly capable of articulating what I would like to order.  So please allow me to do so.

 

As to the pretense of familiarity ... recently on the Ruby with Club Class dining.  First meal, the greeter welcomed us as Mr and Mrs ... next meal was "Welcome back, James and Patricia."  While I didn't correct her, she must have seen me flinch, as she was more respectful after that. 

 

For me, staff don't need to act as tho they know me well.  They don't.   

[pms4104]

5 hours ago, nukesubsailor said:

During my Ocean Medallion cruise, I found that each day the medallion had to get closer to the reader before the door would unlock.  Near the end of the cruise I had to hold it against the target on the reader for a few seconds before the door would unlock.  I assumed that the medallion had a battery that was getting weaker.  Maybe that is why you found it easier to shield your medallion later in your cruise.

So the OM may have a battery or wind down over time?  While it may lose its ability to unlock your door, bet it works flawlessly to make any onboard purchases

[Doug R.]

5 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

 

I am sorry to hear that the RFID credit card wallets don't work 100%.  I bought several for future use against the Medallions.

Just what is it that you and like folks who are so fearful of the medallion doing during the cruise that you find the need to hide the medallions?

[Mike45LC]

43 minutes ago, rebeltech8 said:

- when a business asks for your phone number or email address, tell them you don’t have one.  They will still take your money.

 

 

On every visit to my hair salon, they ask for my phone number and email address.  I don't give them anything except my first name.  I get weird looks, but WTH!  

 

I have never been on Facebook or other social media sites.  And my cell phone has never been authorized to give anyone my location -- if my wife wants to know where I am, she can text me!!

[dearinger]

43 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

 

On every visit to my hair salon, they ask for my phone number and email address.  I don't give them anything except my first name.  I get weird looks, but WTH!  

 

I have never been on Facebook or other social media sites.  And my cell phone has never been authorized to give anyone my location -- if my wife wants to know where I am, she can text me!!

 

Good man, but keep in mind that your phone’s OS still collects location data at a system level unless you explicitly shut it off. It is on by default..

Example from my iPhone [edited for a bit of privacy]

 

yes, this conversation went completely off the rails.. sorry to fuel the fire. 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2019 by dearinger

[Mike45LC]

1 hour ago, Doug R. said:

Just what is it that you and like folks who are so fearful of the medallion doing during the cruise that you find the need to hide the medallions?

I am not fearful.  I am just private.  Whether I am sitting by one of the pools, sitting inside at the buffet (eating or not), sitting down in the atrium, whatever, it is none of the ship's business!!

 

OK, if I buy a drink at Vines or the poolside bar, if I am feeding money into the slot machine, or otherwise put myself into the system, they will know that.  But otherwise, well, I prefer not to be tracked.  For me, it is part of being on vacation.

 

[cruzsnooze]

I have bought on ebay ( $.98) a ten pack of rfid blockers that are meant to slip a credit card into. I have it packed for my cruise medallion because i hate the whole idea of tracking me. 

[Ep010835]

4 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

I have bought on ebay ( $.98) a ten pack of rfid blockers that are meant to slip a credit card into. I have it packed for my cruise medallion because i hate the whole idea of tracking me. 

 

But then there are ALL those cameras. Everywhere!!!

[Thrak]

I was blown away a couple of times recently. Once when I had a chest scan and again when I went to a new doctor for a minor procedure. Both places had forms that asked for my SSN. I can't believe they still ask for this information. Of course I left the places blank and pointed out to the people that they had no good reason to ask for that info. It used to be common on medical forms in doctor's offices but it's hard to believe anybody still has the stones to ask these days. Even Medicare has (finally!) gotten wise and issued ID numbers that aren't our social security number.

[cruzsnooze]

40 minutes ago, Ep010835 said:

 

But then there are ALL those cameras. Everywhere!!!

Cameras don't collect data and track me. Cameras are only viewed when there is a necessity like a brawl or man over board. I turn my phone off and it stays in the safe the entire cruise. I can only so so much but I do what I can.

[Ep010835]

[Thrak]

1 minute ago, Ep010835 said:

 

 

Is THIS what you are implying?

 

https://www.amazon.com/Archie-McPhee-Tin-Foil-Humans/dp/B07CXZBRW5/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=tinfoil+hat&qid=1556942840&s=gateway&sr=8-2

 

[Ep010835]

21 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

 

Is THIS what you are implying?

 

https://www.amazon.com/Archie-McPhee-Tin-Foil-Humans/dp/B07CXZBRW5/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=tinfoil+hat&qid=1556942840&s=gateway&sr=8-2

 

 

Actually I was suggesting wrapping the OM device in multiple layers of aluminum foil. 

 

[Thrak]

5 minutes ago, Ep010835 said:

 

Actually I was suggesting wrapping the OM device in multiple layers of aluminum foil. 

 

 

D'Oh! My bad.

[caribill]

Remember one of the original promises for Medallion use that has not been implemented.

 

A performer in the Princess Theater would be able to know which passengers were in their cabins with the TV turned to a live broadcast of his/her performance.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

7 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

Cameras don't collect data and track me.

 

The he%* they don't.

[MissP22]

16 hours ago, nukesubsailor said:

During my Ocean Medallion cruise, I found that each day the medallion had to get closer to the reader before the door would unlock.  Near the end of the cruise I had to hold it against the target on the reader for a few seconds before the door would unlock.  I assumed that the medallion had a battery that was getting weaker.  Maybe that is why you found it easier to shield your medallion later in your cruise.

Same thing happened with my medallion on both the CB & the Regal. I also noticed that their batteries hardly last the length of the cruise. 

 

Simply placing the medallion in a piece of aluminum foil removes it from all detection and their computer system will only recall the last known location just prior to it being wrapped in foil. 

 

I also noticed that on the Regal there were no sensors above the pool deck on 16 when we sailed in Nov. If I walked up to deck 17 to the Retreat pool my DH would think that I was on deck 16 as a last position & not 17. 

Very frustrating when he was looking for me. 

I suppose they must have installed more sensors by this time. 

[SargassoPirate]

22 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Same thing happened with my medallion on both the CB & the Regal. I also noticed that their batteries hardly last the length of the cruise. 

 

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I have a transpacific cruise planned next year. 29 nights.  I wonder what Princess's plans are for extended cruises and medallion battery life?

[skynight]

14 hours ago, voljeep said:

a cruise card is a flip phone

an OM is a smart phone

so, do you have a flip phone

Yes

a smart phone ?

Yes

- an internet connection?

Yes

 an email address ?

Yes, this one and another which is only used for certain things

myspace account ?

No

- fakebook ?

No and also no to Facebook, twitter and similar

cruise critic account ?

Of course, I'm here

 

 

[MissP22]

39 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I have a transpacific cruise planned next year. 29 nights.  I wonder what Princess's plans are for extended cruises and medallion battery life?

Oh they do work throughout the cruise but it's just that the range seems to be decreased as time goes by. My range for my DH's medallion was always more sensitive than mine, even at the start of the trip.

Take note when you first arrive to when the trip is complete.

[flgojo]

Absolutely no question in my mind the medallion is primarily for data mining.  It is the world we live in today.  I resisted getting all of those little key ring store tags because it bothered me how they would be used. It was so annoying every single time I shopped at CVS.

 

Do you have your tag

No I don't have one thank you

Ok here is one for you

No thank you

All you have to do is...

NO THANKS

But ...

Ring me up please.

 

I finally gave up and got one.

 

That said I have come to accept this and am looking forward to my first medallion experience in 9 days 22 hours and 34 minutes.

 

I also think it is a good safety feature for man overboard.  They will be able to say exactly where and when they stopped receiving a signal.