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Heads up: it looks like the company behind this (Chec) collects and stores a significant amount of data from the usage of the Commerce.js SDK featured here; including customer name, email address, phone number, IP address, device fingerprint and transactions. The privacy policy isn't particularly clear about how this is used, but it's very permissive and vague. It also states that this collection is "mandatory." In my experience this means it will be repackaged as "analytics" and sold for market research and advertising.

Be wary when using eCommerce SDKs, especially in the absence of exact, legalese-free clarification about what "data processing" means. Here is the privacy policy: https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/60591797/full-legal

Keep in mind that if Chec is acquired, the durably stored data will also be transferred per this policy. Beyond the usual callouts like fraud and geolocation, the policy also allows the company to use customer data to "improve its services", with no specificity on what exactly that would entail.




By default stripe.js (one version ago), the default button they included on their getting start page does the same thing, it took us a really long time to implement the custom api that will only submit the credit card number info + amount charged + zip to strip and rest of stuff (customer name, email address, phone number and transactions, etc) to our server.

What bothers me about these lowering the bar for new front end developer/designer is that it is free feast for these kind of non compliance :(


I also am very upset how the bar got lower for web developer. It just some how developer becomes a cool thing to do, and people who are not even interested in development jumped on the band wagon it is very annoying for people who truly understand the development and coding process and being doing it before it was cool.


At least in the US, wages have been stagnant for a vast majority of blue collar jobs for decades, while the cost of living, higher education, healthcare, and childcare have risen astronomically. Computer programming pays good money and often requires no higher education to acquire a job (especially when, again, higher ed can put you in debt for literal decades). It's not a mystery why people here want to do it even if they had no interest before. You don't have to be a genius to put 2 and 2 together and figure it out.

Based on living in the US and seeing many reactions similar to yours over time, I would say your "problem" isn't that new people are getting into an industry. Your problem is that you need to get over yourself and grow up. Sorry the normies make it hard for you to think of yourself as an elit3 uberhax0r anymore, but nobody really cares.


I liked where your comment started, but that ending, ewww. I'm not the author you responded to but I read it more like.

I'm tired of these people that dont understand how easy it is to violate personal privacy with digital technology getting into digital technology.


I'm sorry, but that attitude is absurd. Software development is a job. There is nothing wrong with taking a job because of the paycheck. Many of the startups discussed on HN are not doing it for "the art" of software development, they are seeking money. The VCs that drive the startup world are doing it for money. Telling coders that they need to be in it for the craft of coding while everyone else around them is in it for the money... that is simply unreasonable.

I'm happy for you that you love the work so much to even have such a perspective. But it isn't a fair perspective to everyone else.


Development was always cool, no? Why the hate for newcomers, people got to start somewhere, right?


yes. It is ok if someone doesn't know anything and want to learn as a coder/developer. What I find mostly is that new comers are usually just following the trend or the pay. It is quite a turn off. I'm sure the musicians and artists can relate to that. And often the experienced developer end up cleaning up their stuff, then they move on to another track to be manager or something. (that's to answer your question).


Don't gatekeep.


there is no gatekeeping. Everything is online! If you are interested you can learn it. Don't jump on band wagon because of trend or the pay!

software development is NOT for everyone. Either you got or you put in a lot of work and get it. Other wise go do something else.


Why not?, if you are born and raised in a country where the economy isn't great and software development is going to be your way out then following the trend is an excellent way to get hired. Yes, they won't be like me but so what? someday they'll start cleaning up and contributing too. Someone's got to have a chance to get out of the grind.


You are gate keeping by saying that you have to have some intangible special quality to be a "software developer". This is a toxic view that spreads doubt and division inside people.

Programming isn’t special. If someone wants to do it for a job, so be it. Shame on you for trying to gatekeeper what they learn or do.


Sorry, but this opinion is what's wrong with the industry for decades now.

Don't judge people by the reasons they want to become devs.

I wanted to do it out of passion, I do it even in my free time, when I'm bored, but many people don't and that's okay.


Software development IS for everyone. Don't like one, don't hire them. You are exactly gatekeeping, but who said you are what I or others here consider a good developer?


Yeah, this is extremely in violation of the GDPR.


I was looking to build with this until I read this chain of comments. I feel worried about using it and I don't think I should use even simple well built tools if this is the case.


Based on this article, I guess they've determined they're in GDPR compliance and it's the merchants who have to sort that out :)

http://support.commercejs.com/en/articles/1942216-gdpr-with-...

> We collect our merchants’ customers’ name, email, shipping and billing address, payment details, company name, phone number, IP address, information about orders you initiate, information about the Chec powered merchant stores/integrations that you visit and interact with, and information about the device and browser you use.

The FAQ is "what" and "why", but only the "what" is answered.


"they've determined they're in GDPR compliance" Their claim is BS. They are collecting third party data because the customers are the merchants customers not theirs. The data collected is not necessary for business because the customer doesn't have a business relationship with them.


A few years ago I reviewed a platform offer from a corporation you've heard of. They had a similar clause regarding data protection issues - it basically said "all your data is going to be sent to US servers and we're going to do basically whatever we want with it and there's nothing you can do to opt out. It's your responsibility to let your customers know about it".

I told my boss that, while I was not a lawyer, in my opinion we simply could not sign that contract and provide a service without blatantly violating the then-recent GDPR. (We didn't sign it, although I don't know if that played a part.)

Chec seems to be using a similar approach? They're running a B2B service which doesn't provide analytics opt-out, and their B2C users are supposed to tell the customers "hey, we can't offer you an opt-out on data collection because it's required to make the software platform work" (except that you're not required to run your store on Chec specifically, otherwise it would be a trivial method to bypass the GDPR).

Nonetheless, it's inexcusable that the words 'purpose' and 'analytics' do not appear in that blog post. Those are essential aspects of the GDPR, and if you're not explicitly stating that you won't re-sell the collect data to third parties without the owner's consent, I assume you do.


Honestly asking - it they are just a proxy for that info, does it change things?




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