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Thread: MyMagic+ getting noticed by the feds

  1. #1
    Fun is wherever you find it... olegc's Avatar
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    MyMagic+ getting noticed by the feds

    Thanks to @wttm for pointing this out...
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    "[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney

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  3. #2

    I am not amused. Why should Disney have to disclose its marketing strategies to the U.S. Government? Moreover, anything they disclose will be available to all of their competitors under the Freedom of Information acts.

    I understand having to describe enough details about an item to secure its patent, but this seems ridiculous.

    Yes, Disney plans to obtain information about kids to manipulate their interactions with characters. Yes, most parents will probably be thrilled to see the look on their kids face when they find out Mickey knows their name and will consent to that disclosure.

    Don't we have a debt crises to focus our congress people's time and energy on?


  4. #3
    Fun is wherever you find it... olegc's Avatar
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    well - I am glad that the rep. responsible for this type of activity is still doing their job - I see it as somewhat of a misguided activity. I mean - I would assume Disney would provide some privacy policy and notify families about what it will be doing before you sign up. Will it be all legalese? you betcha. However, that's the way things are these days. If you want to play, you have to give something..

    Now - I do wonder how long it will be before someone gets their wristband snatched and then the data hacked. (or at least a way to get into the database). My guess is with all of the other preferences your income level, total spend, and other standard marketing data is part of your data file.

    "[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney

  5. #4

    This is good. I'm glad that somebody is investigating this and holding Disney accountable.

    I know that we're all Disney fans here and like to have this image of Disney as a positive place that makes us feel warm and fuzzy. But remember that The Walt Disney Company is first and foremost a media conglomerate. The amount of personal data that The Walt Disney Company will be able to accumulate with this new system is frightening. Having the new talking Mickey head say your kid's name as you go for your photo appointment is a nice touch, but that's not the point of this system. The point of this system is to have as complete a consumer profile of every member of your family as possible, recording every single one of your actions and interactions and all linked to personalized information like your credit card number and Internet Provider address. If a government were collecting this much data, it would be considered a serious civil rights issue. It doesn't become innocent and pure just because it's Disney.

    I'm not about to break out the torches and pitchforks, but I am glad that someone is going to hold this corporation to account for how such an invasive level of information is used.


  6. #5

    Cory, I think the point is that some people are even more on the extreme side of privacy than you are. Some people (and I'm one of them) consider our lives an open book anyway and are all for sharing every bit of information about ourselves that we can if it might help provide a more personalized or special experience. Disney has come up with a system that makes us all happy, because every individual gets to choose just how much info they want to share. Why providing a choice like this to consumers should become a Congressional issue is beyond me, but as long as the collection, manipulation, and use of personally-identifiable data is with the full consent of an individual, I really don't see how anyone else can be upset about it.

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  7. #6

    I don't think my family would like this. But, to each his own. There are families that would probably like this type of system.

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  8. #7
    Fun is wherever you find it... olegc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Iceman View Post
    I really don't see how anyone else can be upset about it.
    well, I believe many other sites that have guarenteed or claimed to have policies to secure data all of a sudden either change them (facebook) or lose them (insurance companies, retailers, etc) to outsiders. Sometimes these happen and the attempt by the party is "this is how it is" (instagram). I think that Disney is held to a different standard because it specifically targets families with children (rightfully so or not).
    "[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Iceman View Post
    Disney has come up with a system that makes us all happy, because every individual gets to choose just how much info they want to share. Why providing a choice like this to consumers should become a Congressional issue is beyond me, but as long as the collection, manipulation, and use of personally-identifiable data is with the full consent of an individual, I really don't see how anyone else can be upset about it.
    The problem is that DISNEY says that we get to choose how much data to share. Why are we going to trust them? Should we take their word on it? Like I said, we're not talking about warm and fuzzy Uncle Walt here. We're talking about a multimedia conglomerate, a corporation that is otherwise only legally accountable to its own shareholders.

    As olegc pointed out, it is very easy for coprorations to change those policies and slip into "this is how it is, get used to it" mode. That is going to be a problem when "consent" becomes "going to Disneyland." Right now you can enter Disneyland by purchasing a ticket and them knowing that I came in. For me living further afield, they can get a purchase order from Expedia, picking up said tickets and getting my photo taken. After this entering Disneyland is going to mean that they will have access to my credit card and IP address, which means being able to access all information about me that is available online (which is all information about me), and linking all of that to a detailed itinerary of everything I do in the park all day. You bet I want some binding guarantees on how much Disney is going to use my personal information against me.

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