No. No, no, no, no, no. A thousand times “No!”
But it’s happening anyway. Greg Toppo explains:
A small but growing café chain is strategically opening locations near Ivy League universities and other top campuses, offering an irresistible bargain or, depending on your point of view, an unconscionable one.
The cashless Shiru cafés give out handmade coffee and tea drinks for free. In exchange, students flash a university ID and, in the bargain, hand over a small cache of personal information: name, age, email address, interests, major and graduation year, among other details. They also agree to be contacted by Shiru’s corporate sponsors, who underwrite all those cappuccinos, matcha lattes and iced Americanos.
Read more on Inside Higher Ed.