At this point, we don't have any reason to not believe what they say, but privacy is very hard when you are dealing with this kind of information. We could use it as a personal ID number, but we don't. We wouldn't make money on that, and nobody is interested in that information. Privacy groups and marketing firms disagree, noting, for example, that knowing the name and e-mail address of a person who scanned the bar codes on a box of condoms and a bottle of whiskey could be very valuable to advertisers. The report also urges the company to give users more details about what information is being collected and how it will be used.
Some critics say that is a lot of work to set up a device that is primarily a marketing tool.
Some observers just aren't sure people will bother to lug printed materials or product packaging to their computers to scan it in. I just don't mind typing in Web addresses. It was a nice idea, but the marketplace did not accept it. Groups that have embraced the cat are programmers, hackers and hobbyists who say they have found ways to neuter it. There are dozens of Web sites offering advice on how to disable the identification codes and make the device more than a marketing tool.