In a Los Angeles Times column in the Business section January 21, 2020 Mr. Lazarus lays it out. California has the right idea, only go far enough so companies like this cant exist anywhere. It is way worse for employees. Make up an identity for your loyalty card and use cash. Some very substantial discounts if you put the app in your phone. Maybe you should not even shop there.
He says that because California has a new law about privacy and disclosure Ralphs has a new form you get when you apply for Rewards. Ralphs requires loads of information and permission to look at your job, education, health insurance, and a lot of other personal stuff sometime only vaguely described. If you visit the site where you apply for the app (don't apply) you can wade through the mess of Terms of Service and Privacy stuff but not, strangely, pharmacy, and see for yourself. He quotes three academics on this. He quotes John Votava of Ralphs who agrees that this might need to be looked at but of course the company isn't like that. Other companies do stuff like this. Yes? Weird and questionable need for intrusion might apply only to pharmacy and credit card applications, but of course we can't be sure. The article mentions a subsidiary called 84.51, which offers a service called Stratum, where they trade personal information about people.
