Why do I have to let a bunch of apps access my info to enter a lottery?

I realize it is. losing battle but I work hard on keeping my info out of marketers , online promos etc, the only "social media" I have is Facebook and I keep the highest privacy settings, have never used on my phone ( my phone has a total of 5 apps and has location turned off) I have entered lotteries over the years going back to in person and then using email but now I would not only would have to use my facebook account to enter I would have to agree to allow a BUNCH of marketing companies access to my info etc. I understand people will download an app to get a free donut but that is not me and I resent that I will be unable to even try to see shows where I can't afford the tickets for because I won't give them access not just to my facebook account name but to "turn on" Social Toaster and agree to allow it to access my activity. I really want to try to see LEOPOLDSTADT but not at the cost of agreeing to the terms to "enter" a lottery where I will still be paying for a ticket. I know I am very much an outlier on this but I am going to end up missing shows I really want to see.

I have a 2nd email address and is the one I use for FB account but as I understood it I had to allow "Social Toaster" access to FB contacts etc and to allow it to connect by FB to other crap. I had to "turn on" access for my FB account to all sorts of data collection is ALWAYS off.

I will try to get friends to enter and I did see it on TDF but of course at twice the price of the lottery

Updated On: 9/22/22 at 01:47 PM

Because your info is worth more money when sold in bulk than the value of the tickets.

I feel your pain, but none of us are entitled to get discounted tickets on the terms we prefer. Those offering the discounts make the rules and we choose whether or not we're comfortable abiding by them. So it has always been. So it likely always will be.

Up to a point I agree but to say the ONLY way to access a ticket lottery is via both a social media platform (not an email) and then allow that to access your info not only excludes me but I suspect a number of older theater goers who don't have any social media account.

I definitely understand your frustration and would also prefer not to have to give social toaster any info, but why not set up a burner email and social media account just for lotteries? There's no requirement for it to be a real social media account you use regularly. Just make a twitter account you use only to log into social toaster, or tweet out the todaytix info for an extra entry. Social toaster/todaytix/etc. can't access your info if there isn't any in your account.

and a happy ending at least for LEOPOLDSTADT. You see I am big theater buff but not student, not yet a senior, teacher, government employee etc so I thought I was not eligible for TDF BUT I just looked and I do qualify as a freelancer so this has been a very fruitful thread for me

Social toaster has had my info for a bunch of years even before the pandemic and I've won lotteries through them and gotten great seats sitting next to people who paid 4 times what I did. I've never once noticed any misuse of my data and if the price for getting a $169 seat for $39 is to see an ad or two I might not otherwise have seen, I don't think that's a huge price to pay. They're not running a non-profit after all.

thanks I may give that a try. I actually had a twitter account 15 years ago for 24 hours to do ONE thing but I never used it again and it probably long expired.

I don't think it is hard as everyone would suggest to keep some of your info private. Again I am extreme, I don't allow location on my phone and I opt out of any tracking as it is an apple phone, I go in to most everything I use to opt out of tons of crap. I have only 4 apps ( I had to download seatgeek for a show but deleted it after). I also don't bank or pay bills online and have a freeze on my credit reports. That said I spent plenty of time on my computer browsing etc but I am extremely amused that Facebook and youtube in particular seem really clueless in what Ads they throw at me and I once downloaded my FB list of who they were selling my info to for ads and it was insanely off base ( luxury cars and real estate and. not only could I afford neither I have never learned to drive a car). I doubt it is worth all the trouble but it does make me feel a bit better.

There is nothing stopping you from having a second FB acct.

Businesses logically do their best to monetize everything but you can logically unmonetize your self without much effort.

It is still odd, though. If there's a sweepstakes, there's a "no purchase necessary" option. Even TodayTix lets me enter a lotto without connecting my social account. You would think there'd be a bypass.

Wick3 said: "It’s a tradeoff. This is why I miss the in-person lotteries.

I have a separate email address (with FB) I use just for marketing/lottery/junk mail stuff.

Also, if Leopoldstadt is not selling well it’ll most likely show up on TDF. I know I’ve seen it on TKTS.

or… you can ask your friends to enter the lottery for 2 tickets and if they win, to take you as their plus 1. My friends and I love gambling, and I would like to recommend https://casinosanalyzer.com/online-casinos/google-pay service that provides lists of sites with reliable payment systems, such as Google Pay. In that way you can venmo them the ticket cost and you didn’t have to give any of your digital information away!"

This idea with a separate mail for marketing is just great.

Updated On: 8/31/23 at 10:55 AM

This may sound insane, but you should write to your local representatives about these practices. It's gross and data privacy is a hot topic these days. The more constituents speak up, the more our government will work to push back against policies that allow our data to be sold.

For the record, I also think the practice of having to give our social media accounts over to these discount ticket sellers is ridiculous. I stopped doing it and found other ways to get cheap tickets.