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Vending machine error reveals secret face image database of college students (arstechnica.com)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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From the "no matter how bad you think it is, it's worse" department.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I imagine the people who still run independent companies that fill vending machines (I'm not sure if this is still the model, or if capitalism ruined that as well) will gladly install the M&M branded machines, when the rental fees go down drastically.

At least that's how I see this playing out: Machine is provided to small business for cheap (possibly free), majorly increasing their ever-thinning profit margins. I'm sure the cost of snacks increasing every month is a nightmare for people who stock vending machines, and their profit margins must be thinner than they've ever been.

They'll install the new machines, and maybe even make marginally more total profits... of course the real money is in the data being collected by the machine.

Shit, I bet they could start having vending machines where they just give you shit for free, all you have to do is give a thumbprint, or strand of hair, or fingernail, or cornea scan, etc... And people would use them. Hey, free shit right?