A shopper has been criticized for a ‘pathetic’ act in which he used a spare voucher to hide the camera at a self-checkout in a supermarket.
The man revealed he was becoming increasingly frustrated with the idea of big companies ‘using facial recognition software’ and recording customers as they paid.
“I started doing this when self-service checkouts were only available,” he wrote in a now-deleted post, claiming he usually prefers to pay at a manned counter. ‘Folding a receipt and placing it over the camera gives you a bit of privacy.’
He carries Blu-Tac in his bag in case he ever needs to stick something on a camera facing him.
Thousands of Australians mocked him for his ‘ridiculous’ behavior – but not everyone thought it was a bad idea.
A customer has been criticized for a ‘pathetic’ act where he used a spare voucher to hide the camera at a supermarket self-checkout
A brave new world of hi-tech surveillance is sweeping through Australian supermarkets, with retail giants Woolworths and Coles investing millions in more cameras.
But the ‘Big Brother’ experience of being watched and scanned while shopping has left some shoppers worried, with social media channels such as TikTok exploding with videos of people complaining about the new measures.
Consumer behavior expert Professor Nitika Garg from the University of NSW insisted there was no “dangerous motivation” behind the increased surveillance, but it was causing significant inconvenience to customers.
“It’s only a recent phenomenon that you can see your own image as you scan items,” she said.
‘I know what their motivation is, but even then you become a little more self-conscious when you say: ‘Look, I’m scanning the right variety of tomato here.’ Do not scan the cheaper version’.
“We knew they always had cameras in stock, but I think this is a new and very blatant signal to the consumer: ‘look, we’re watching and please do the right thing’.”
The companies are introducing more cameras to prevent inventory loss, theft and misuse.
Many Aussies shared their complaints about supermarket cameras.
“I actually really hate that they use facial recognition cameras to see what I buy and sell the data to companies,” one person said.
‘My partner and I were at Coles the other day and bought an avocado. At checkout it was assumed we had scanned the wrong item and the recording of us played on the screen, and that’s when I knew I was destined to be a boomer. We did a good scan, but apparently he doesn’t know what an avocado looks like,” says another.
Supermarkets are increasingly introducing cameras to prevent stock loss, theft and misuse
A few joked that self-checkout cameras “weren’t a problem” and that there were ways to avoid them.
“Shop at IGA or small local grocers if you’re so worried about being recorded at Coles and Woolworths,” one man wrote.
‘Don’t use self-checkouts. Just ask if an employee can scan your stuff,” said a second.
While some shared humorous observations about the cameras.
“I need to (stick a receipt above the camera) prevent a downward spiral of depression after looking at the worst possible version of my face,” one person joked.
“I like to look at myself,” murmured another.