FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY AT WALMART

Our Take

Attorney Stephanie's breakdown of whether Walmart uses facial recognition technology raises the kind of question we think more Americans should be asking about every retailer, parking lot, and intersection they pass through: who's watching, what are they capturing, and where does that data go? Credit to her for digging into the legal gray areas that most shoppers never think about until it's their face or their plate in a database somewhere.

This is exactly the ecosystem Flock Safety and similar ALPR networks thrive in. Private facial recognition in a big-box store and government-adjacent license plate cameras on public roads are built on the same premise — that constant, low-friction identification of ordinary people is just the cost of modern life. Once you accept facial scans at checkout, it's not a huge leap to accept plate scans at every intersection, especially when both systems operate with minimal transparency and even less meaningful consent.

If this video got you thinking about how much surveillance infrastructure already surrounds you, take a look at our map to see what's been documented near you, and check out our take-action resources if you want to push back on it.