Photo credit: ganjingworld.com

https://news.google.com/search?for=starbucks+free+coffee&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen

It’s all over the mainstream news outlets, as shown by this Google (complicit) search result for “Free Starbucks.”

As we all know from bitter experience, there’s no such thing as a free lunch (“TNSTAAFL”) — and that goes for coffee, too.

When it’s “free” there’s one thing for sure: YOU are the product — or at least your data is the price for the “free” item.

IT’s not FREE when you have to install the SBUX app on your smartphone, and allow them to track a variety of your activities — and even potentially sell that data to anyone who wants to sell you something else.

Why would the news media promote this scam?  They are most likely some of the best customers who want to buy the data that the Starbucks app collects, potentially making their ad services more valuable to advertisers.

You don’t even have to get your nose close enough to read the small print — this stinks from afar.

How valuable is access to and distribution of the data on your smartphone?  If somebody offered to BUY this information from you, would you sell it for the price of a SMALL cup of coffee?  We’re guessing the answer would be more direct than a polite “No, thanks.”

Please, Starbucks (and disingenuous media), don’t “P” on my leg and tell me it’s raining.

The ignominious recipient of todays’ Molière Citation is Starbucks, who opened their restrooms to non-customers and now pretend to offer a “free” cup of coffee to anyone — yeah, anyone with a smartphone who has no concern for privacy.

Dishonorable mention goes to the complicit media for promoting the SBUX “free coffee” scam!