Introduction λ

In the Netherlands there is this supermarket chain called Albert Heijn (AH). In order to get discounts, you have to wave one of their pieces of plastic with an EAN-13 barcode on it. Roughly 10 years ago, you could only get one of these by signing up with you name and address. These days, you can just get one from any for the flyers they sometimes have literally covering the floors because not every one particularly cares about keeping the stores clean.

The idea about the pieces of plastic these days is that you create an AH account and allow them to track you that way. However, a colleage sent me the one displayed above the other day. The idea behind it being that employees can use that one when you don’t have your “bonuskaart” with you. As a result, whatever identifying information it may have is rendered completely useless due to quite literally the entire country using it through employees.