Our daily lives have been infused with technology, yet the ease and advancements it brings are not without drawbacks. A few of them even have effects on privacy.
It is difficult to ignore a situation like this, especially in light of recent reports that Coles supermarket is testing "innovative" security measures including "smart gateway technology" in an effort to minimise the theft issue at its stores.
Australia's two largest supermarkets have begun to implement a variety of tough security measures, which have been described as a necessary action to tackle the theft problem, which costs $9 billion annually.
However, some experts have expressed concerns about a background of "trauma" or even "distrust" for some customers while in businesses.
Coles has integrated a number of cutting-edge devices into its stores nationwide in an effort to deter crime and safeguard employees from an apparent rise in aggressive conduct.
Among them are 'smart gates' that automatically lock if customers attempt to leave without paying for their purchases, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled cameras at checkouts, and overhead cameras intended to monitor shoppers' every move.
Body-worn cameras, which some Woolworths customers are already accustomed to seeing on police officers and bouncers, are a recent Coles tactic that has also been adopted by other retailers. The purpose of this action is to protect Coles' employees against violence of any kind in all of their "high-risk" locations.
Privacy advocates, however, have not been slow to criticise these developments. Dr. Mary Ilias, a senior lecturer in criminology at Deakin University, has warned of a culture of fear sparked by excessive surveillance and suggested that such surveillance could burden consumers unnecessarily.
According to Dr. Illias, those who are vulnerable may also have "exacerbated feelings of trauma and mistrust" as a result of the cameras.
She voiced concern about innocent people being unfairly singled out—those who might seem uneasy or unsure owing to medical or mental conditions—and creating unnecessary suffering.
Retailers argue that if customers were not satisfied with the technology, it would not have been implemented.
"New technology such as body cameras is being tested by some stores here and overseas and is being done so within privacy laws and with careful attention to staff and customer feedback," Paul Zahra, Australian Retailers Association Chief Executive explained.
"It's in retailers' interests to keep their customers comfortable and at ease in stores and this kind of technology is first and foremost to keep frontline retail staff and customers safe," Zahra added.
Coles and Woolworths representatives assured customers that their cameras comply with Australian privacy regulations and that video from these cameras would only be preserved for "a few weeks."