Smile: A store shelf camera could be trying to guess your age, gender and mood. Kroger and Walgreens are experimenting with the technology at a handful of stores, josephpisani reports.
This March 7, 2019, photo shows a smart shelf area at Walgreen's in Chicago. Walgreens, which has more than 8,000 drugstores, installed cooler doors with cameras and sensors at six locations in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Bellevue, Washington. Instead of the usual clear glass doors that allow customers to see inside, there are video screens that display ads along with the cooler’s contents.
It’s a new technology being trotted out to retailers, where cameras try to guess your age, gender or mood as you walk by. The intent is to use the information to show you targeted real-time ads on in-store video screens. “The creepy factor here is definitely a 10 out of 10,” said Pam Dixon, the executive director of the World Privacy Forum, a nonprofit that researches privacy issues.
Walgreens, which has more than 8,000 drugstores, installed cooler doors with cameras and sensors at six locations in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Bellevue, Washington. Instead of the usual clear glass doors that allow customers to see inside, there are video screens that display ads along with the cooler’s contents.
Advocates of the technology say it could benefit shoppers by showing them discounts tailored to them or drawing attention to products that are on sale. But privacy experts warn that even if the information being collected is anonymous, it can still be used in an intrusive way. The technology could also lead to discriminatory practices, like raising prices when an older person walks in or pushing products based on your perceived mood such as ads for anti-depression medication if the cameras think you look sad, adds Dixon of the World Privacy Forum. .At a Walgreens in New York, a sign above a rack of wines said the store is testing cameras and sensors that “do not identify you or store any images.
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