‘And we thought Big Brother was going to be the government’: Walmart shopper goes to self-checkout. Then a video pops up on his screen
Over the years, Walmart and other businesses have implemented all sorts of security measures to prevent people from shoplifting.
These features may be effective at improving security in-store. However, some shoppers have claimed that such measures hurt the overall shopping experience.
For example, one internet user alleged that they waited 45 minutes for a case to be unlocked at Walmart so they could purchase a low-cost item. Another alleged that they were falsely accused of shoplifting by security after taking advantage of some in-store deals.
Regardless, many stores are continuing to roll out advanced security measures. One of these measures is an improved camera system. And, as TikTok user @dadbodhistory recently explained in a video with over 31,000 views, some security cameras are more present and catch more than the average shopper might think.
What was so scary about this Walmart security system?
In his video, the TikToker explains that he had visited a Walmart location to make some purchases. While scanning two dips—one in each hand—he ran into trouble after scanning the first item and moving it to the bag.
“I scan the one on my left hand first, and I move it to the bag to my right, and the bag is a little bit further away than normal. So I drop it into the bag, and then the screen comes up saying, ‘Associate Needed,’” the TikToker recalls.
Confused as to why an associate would be needed to approve a purchase of dips, the TikToker was startled to see that, once the worker came over, he was presented with a video of himself scanning the item.
“It shows a video of me scanning one, and it said, ‘Possible Item Theft,’” he states. “I just said, ‘Yeah, I scanned one first and moved it to the bag. I didn’t realize it.’”
This experience clearly left the TikToker unsettled.
“And we were worried Big Brother was going to be the government,” he concludes.
Does Walmart’s self-checkout really have this feature?
Over the years, Walmart has tried numerous methods to reduce shoplifting, including a brief test of tagging items with RFID tags.
It appears that at least some self-checkout machines are equipped with the technology explained by the TikToker. A November 2023 article from Business Insider discussed the technology and noted that, while some shoppers expressed frustrations with it, the author was able to carry out their transaction with ease.
That said, there are other instances in which shoppers claimed they faced similar issues to the TikToker, such as one Reddit post in which a user alleged they were met with a similar “Possible Item Theft” prompt while scanning ornaments.
@dadbodhistory Big Brother is Watching.
♬ original sound - Dad Bod History
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, users offered their views on this technology.
“I wasn't trained to scan groceries,” joked a user.
“The same thing happened to me. Learned it doesn't like you holding more than one item in your hands at a time. Annoying because I'll grab two or three things so I can get done faster,” added another.
“I learned that when I have an item in each hand scanning one then the other, they turn on the camera for me to see,” shared a third.
They continued, “I flipped my finger at the image. I heard a gasp.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Walmart via media relations contact form and the TikToker via email.
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