Tech & Sci
15:34, 08-Sep-2017
At this store, one can only pay with an email or a photo from phone
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Would you do it if you had to pay for a mug or T-shirt with an email, a Facebook post or a photo from your smart phone?
The Data Dollar Store, a pop-up shop that appeared in the Old Street Underground station in east London this week, only allows you to pay with personal data, CNET reported.
The store is the collaborative work of street artist Ben Eine and local cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab, and sells exclusive products such as T-shirts, mugs and prints designed by the artist.
To shop at The Data Dollar Store, you need to decide how much of your private data you can afford to give up. /Photo via Engadget
To shop at The Data Dollar Store, you need to decide how much of your private data you can afford to give up. /Photo via Engadget
To shop at The Data Dollar Store, you need to decide how much of your private information you can afford to give up. The more you pay, the better product you get.
Nicholas Tufnell, associate editor of CNET, shared his experience at the weird shop.
“My offers were a mug in return for three pictures from my phone of my own choosing, a T-shirt for three pictures of the (store) assistant's choosing, or a limited edition print for five pictures of the assistant's choosing. All photos I relinquish are publicly displayed on a large TV screen in the shop window for two days,” Tufnell wrote on CNET.
Personal data of consumers displayed at the store. /Photo via Engadget
Personal data of consumers displayed at the store. /Photo via Engadget
“My phone was swiftly snatched from my hand, the photos were AirDropped onto the store's iPads, and before I had time to think about how foolish I had or hadn't been, my daft selfies were being broadcast for all of Old Street station to see.”
He claimed that he felt uncomfortable having the store assistant browsing his photos even with his permission.
Ben Eine, street artist. /Photo via Engadget
Ben Eine, street artist. /Photo via Engadget
Eine conducted this data shopping experiment to discover people’s awareness of the value of their personal information.
"Companies use that information and target us to sell products, to feed us information that we wouldn't necessarily look at. And I thought this is a good opportunity to raise awareness,” Eine told CNET.
Engadget reported neither the artist nor the company is implying that the store is the future of commerce.
Awareness of cybersecurity in China
When malware like Wanna Cry and Petya threatened the world several months ago, they also raised people’s awareness toward cybersecurity.
According to data released by consulting agency iiMedia Research Group, during the first half of 2017, 88.7 percent of Chinese netizens treat cybersecurity as an important issue, while 81.6 percent are aware of the two malware mentioned above.
However, the number dives to 23.8 percent when it comes to deeper research about malware and taking actions to protect personal online information.
iiMedia Research Group concluded at the end of the report that the severe status of cybersecurity and the increasing awareness of Chinese netizens provide more opportunities for companies that focus on Internet security.
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