Retailers Use AI-Powered Cameras to Build Highly Detailed Vehicle Profiles
Home Depot and Lowe's are using advanced surveillance technology to monitor their parking lots. The tech company Flock Safety provides solar-powered cameras that use artificial intelligence (AI) to build a profile of every car entering the lot. These cameras capture detailed images of license plates, bumper stickers, body damage, aftermarket wheels, and bike racks.
The collected data is used to create a searchable 'Vehicle Signature' that can help law enforcement identify repeat offenders. The primary goal is to combat organized retail crime and fraud. However, this has raised severe alarm among privacy advocates due to the potential for widespread data collection and sharing.
A recent investigation revealed that while Home Depot restricts direct data sharing to local police departments, those agencies can pass information up the chain to federal law enforcement. Lowe's has been sharing its ALPR data with other law enforcement departments across state lines.