I've noticed not only the local 7-11 PoS terminals now have embedded cameras, but also Home Depot's newer all-in-one computers at the self-checkout include an embedded camera.
It's obnoxious and rude. You wouldn't be OK with anyone shoving a camera point-blank in your face while doing business with them. That's exactly what these businesses are subjecting their in-person retail customers to.
Except that's not what 7-11 did here. They took photos from a tablet, as select customers were taking a survey.
Doing that without consent is still obnoxious, but a far cry from embedding a camera in the PoS terminal that captures everybody as they check-out. 7-11 might also do that, but it wasn't reported here.
Home Depot's newer all-in-one computers at the self-checkout include an embedded camera.
Makes me glad I never - ever - use self-checkout.
I'm not interested in helping replace human jobs with robots just so a bean counter in a boardroom somewhere can buy a second boat.
Occasionally, the self-checkout "team member" will come over to me while I'm standing in line and offer to help me use the self-checkout. I tell her, "I'd rather not help {$company} replace your job with a robot."
I expect a lot of times they think I'm a kook. But every once in a while they pause and I can see the realization washing over their faces. Then I feel like I've accomplished a small thing that day.
As someone who used to have that job, the only thing I was thinking when someone said that was: well it’s going to happen eventually, and I’m glad retail is not my career
The cameras that are certainly watching you at checkout are the same ones you know or should know are watching you in every retail establishment in the country. The ones overhead. Retailers use a relatively small number of cameras mounted overhead in order to have broad coverage of a large area that is hard to obscure.
I do not know for absolute certain, and couldn't divulge it if I did, but I am about 99% sure that the cameras mounted in the all in one systems are part of the standard equipment included with that model of computer NOT part of store surveillance coverage which is more than adequately served by existing cameras. That is to say that it would be a waste of resources to watch the other cameras watch you.
The key is that they include user facing sliding camera covers designed for users to secure their privacy. This wouldn't be true if they were intended to watch you.
The reason you are being watched is that people steal and people steal MORE when dealing with a machine because they feel less guilty about doing it perceptibly to a machine rather than cheating in front of an actual cashier.
The Atlantic did a piece on it where it was found that around 1 in 5 people stole from SCO and about 4% of merchandise that went through SCO wasn't paid for.
>I've noticed not only the local 7-11 PoS terminals now have embedded cameras, but also Home Depot's newer all-in-one computers at the self-checkout include an embedded camera.
Starbucks card readers too. Pointed right up at your face. I emailed the local store manager about it, who said he'd get back to me but never did.
Starbucks card readers too. Pointed right up at your face
Here's your act of civil disobedience for the day: Try to remember to bring a tiny strip of Scotch tape with you the next time you're at Starbucks. If you do remember, and if nobody's looking, put the tape over the lens. Hopefully the piece of tape is small enough to be inconspicuous, and fuzzy enough from being in your pocket that it ruins the camera's view.
Based on the animosity of the masks, I would not be surprised where you will not be allowed to wear a mask in public just so some people can prove a point. Buisness owners are already refusing service to people wearing masks in some places (you can probably guess where if you're not already familiar).
Walmart and Target do it too. Insert card, supply an identity to go with the frames the camera is capturing. Do that a few times and you've got a training set to identify an individual.
There's a substantial difference between areal cameras for loss prevention and a camera literally inches from your face in terms of invasiveness and hostility.
Maybe the article has missed detail but it seems to imply that 7-Eleven was only asked to stop and to destroy the inappropriately collected data and was not given a fine nor any other punishment. Is that correct?
Isn't that the benefit of being a large company. You do something bad, you get a slap on the wrist and they politely ask you to stop. You do it again, same slap.. and they say pretty please. Eventually, you just realize that as long as you keep paying the politicians you can do pretty much whatever you want with little to no consequence?
Depends on the country. For instance in Europe, GDPR enforcement is way more lenient towards small companies, to the point where it makes no strategic sense for a startup to invest anything but the bare minimum required to feign "good intentions". Striving for actual compliance with the letter of the law is something only huge companies do.
Same with Rite Aid stores around my school. The auto checkout machine has been equipped with cameras since pandemic (about one yr ago). It gave me a sense of intrusion.
That’s the point. The self checkout cameras are just there to let you know you’re being watched; why else would they make them as in-your-face as they are?
Their self-checkout systems have an insane number of cameras per station, including one pointed right at your face. I don't doubt it's being saved for expression analysis as each product is swiped.
Readit News
It's obnoxious and rude. You wouldn't be OK with anyone shoving a camera point-blank in your face while doing business with them. That's exactly what these businesses are subjecting their in-person retail customers to.
Doing that without consent is still obnoxious, but a far cry from embedding a camera in the PoS terminal that captures everybody as they check-out. 7-11 might also do that, but it wasn't reported here.
The issue is that regardless of whether the users gave consent, their actions still ran afoul of Australian law.
https://onezero.medium.com/you-can-fool-a-popular-facial-rec...
7-11 takes your money for yucky hot dogs and apparently also your face long enough to satellite it to Azure. That’s weird.
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Dead Comment
Makes me glad I never - ever - use self-checkout.
I'm not interested in helping replace human jobs with robots just so a bean counter in a boardroom somewhere can buy a second boat.
Occasionally, the self-checkout "team member" will come over to me while I'm standing in line and offer to help me use the self-checkout. I tell her, "I'd rather not help {$company} replace your job with a robot."
I expect a lot of times they think I'm a kook. But every once in a while they pause and I can see the realization washing over their faces. Then I feel like I've accomplished a small thing that day.
I do not know for absolute certain, and couldn't divulge it if I did, but I am about 99% sure that the cameras mounted in the all in one systems are part of the standard equipment included with that model of computer NOT part of store surveillance coverage which is more than adequately served by existing cameras. That is to say that it would be a waste of resources to watch the other cameras watch you.
The key is that they include user facing sliding camera covers designed for users to secure their privacy. This wouldn't be true if they were intended to watch you.
The reason you are being watched is that people steal and people steal MORE when dealing with a machine because they feel less guilty about doing it perceptibly to a machine rather than cheating in front of an actual cashier.
The Atlantic did a piece on it where it was found that around 1 in 5 people stole from SCO and about 4% of merchandise that went through SCO wasn't paid for.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/03/stealin...
Starbucks card readers too. Pointed right up at your face. I emailed the local store manager about it, who said he'd get back to me but never did.
Here's your act of civil disobedience for the day: Try to remember to bring a tiny strip of Scotch tape with you the next time you're at Starbucks. If you do remember, and if nobody's looking, put the tape over the lens. Hopefully the piece of tape is small enough to be inconspicuous, and fuzzy enough from being in your pocket that it ruins the camera's view.
Even after Covid is over, I'd feel comfortable continuing with the mask!
https://youtu.be/AQgiLK5HuiA
If it's not illegal in your state, it's time to start petitioning your elected officials.
If you don't, then you're part of the problem and shouldn't complain about the situation on the internet.