12/10/2023 0 Comments Spy camera changing![]() High-resolution video cameras offer merchants “gaze trackers” that detect which brands you’re browsing and for how long. With enhanced technology, you are a moving target for the retailer’s digital eye, from the moment you enter a store until the moment you leave. Make no mistake: in or out of the dressing room, as soon as you walk in the store, you’re being watched. If you think you might have evidence that you have been videotaped for purposes other than theft deterrence, you should contact a lawyer immediately, because that’s never legal. It also potentially violates laws on video voyeurism, which specifies the intent to capture an image of a private area of an individual without their consent, and knowingly does so under circumstances in which the individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy. Such conduct could fall under laws prohibiting voyeurism, which is the act of recording unsuspecting individuals (usually strangers) who may be naked or disrobing, for the purpose of seeking sexual excitement. ![]() Moreover, in every state, video surveillance in sensitive areas, such as a dressing room or restroom, for purposes other than theft prevention is illegal. Only 13 states prohibit dressing room surveillance without the expressed permission of the shopper: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Utah. Some states permit only real-time surveillance, via two-way mirrors or non-recorded camera feeds, while others permit the use of cameras that record dressing room activity. The majority of states have taken an “informed consent” approach: allowing changing-room surveillance but requiring that the store post conspicuous signs in dressing room areas to inform consumers that they are potentially being monitored. In other states, the practice is banned wholesale over privacy concerns. In some states, it is perfectly legal to monitor a store’s dressing room by surveillance camera or two-way mirror. The legality of installing cameras in dressing rooms depends upon which state the store in question is located. Small wonder that retailers have placed surveillance cameras throughout their stores, including the changing rooms. And it cited shoplifting as the number one culprit. A separate report from the National Retail Federation arrived at a smaller but still eye-popping estimate of shrinkage: 44 billion in 2014. ![]() A 2015 report from Retail Knowledge-producers of the largest risk and loss prevention conference series in the world-identified that North American retailers lost about $60 billion that year to shrinkage, up from $57 billion in 2014. ![]() “Shrinkage,” a blanket industry term referencing loss due to shoplifting and worker or vendor theft, represents substantial annual loss to retailers. Ever keen to catch a shopper swapping tags or even bagging an item, retailers are going to greater privacy-compromising lengths to protect their bottom line. The practice is on the rise, owing to improving technology, particularly the availability of smaller, less expensive cameras. When you enter a store’s dressing room, do you assume you’re alone with your selection of clothes?Īs a theft prevention measure, many retail stores use surveillance cameras to monitor dressing rooms.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |