I like OpenTable. It makes booking a restaurant ridiculously easy, and if I can score a deal while I’m at it, even better. I’m not about to turn down a discount just because somebody might know what I had for dinner. But there’s a small price to pay for all that convenience, and it got me thinking this weekend.
OpenTable sent me an email reminding me to reserve a table, even though I had no plans to dine out. Nothing dramatic, but it got me wondering just how much information we leave behind when we use these services. A few clicks and your table is booked. But so is your information.
I’m not overly concerned about someone knowing my eating habits. I’m not guarding the secret formula for the perfect poutine. And if a restaurant uses information to offer me a good deal, I’m all ears. The question is how much gets collected, how it’s used and who might get access to it.
OpenTable’s Canadian privacy policy says it collects reservation details, searches, browsing activity and device information. It also describes using data for marketing and personalized advertising, sharing certain information with business partners, and potentially receiving details such as items ordered and bill totals from participating restaurants. That’s a little more than simply booking a table and showing up hungry.
To be fair, I have no evidence that any of this triggered my email, and I’m not suggesting OpenTable is breaking the law. But just because something is permitted doesn’t mean everyone is comfortable with it. Your dining habits can reveal where you go, how often you eat out and the places you favour. Useful information for a restaurant, perhaps, but I’d rather decide how much of that picture I’m willing to share.
There are bigger questions, too. The Verge reported on OpenTable testing AI-assisted diner tags for participating restaurants, raising concerns about how customer behaviour might be categorized. OpenTable said the AI was primarily being used to organize messy menu descriptions rather than directly analyze individuals. Meanwhile, restaurant-industry reports have raised concerns about OpenTable’s influence over restaurants and its reservation-management contracts. These are different issues, but they show how much a booking platform can affect both diners and the businesses serving them.
I’m not suggesting we ditch OpenTable and return to calling six restaurants just to find a table for two. I like the convenience, and I’m happy to take advantage of a good offer. But at the end of the day, I’d rather not be an open book. If I can limit marketing or information sharing through the available privacy settings, I’d prefer to do that.
Maybe that’s the trade-off with modern technology: we get convenience and deals, while companies get information that can help them market to us. There’s no need to assume something shady is going on, but there’s also no harm in asking what we’re giving up in return.
I’m happy to make a reservation. I just don’t need to put my whole life on the menu.