Home Depot and Lowes are installing license plate reader cameras in their parkin_1778642313
The short version: Banking With Billy flags Home Depot and Lowe's rolling out license plate readers in parking lots as 'anti-theft' tech — we see another private surveillance net quietly expanding.
Our Take
Banking With Billy's report on Home Depot and Lowe's installing ALPR cameras in their lots is a reminder that this surveillance creep isn't just a government problem — it's a retail one too. A theft ring hitting stores in nine states is a real issue, but the fix being floated is the same one police departments reach for: blanket license plate logging of every customer who pulls into the lot, guilty or not.
What rarely gets mentioned in these corporate rollout stories is where that data goes afterward. Is it shared with local police? Sold to data brokers? Fed into a regional network like Flock's? Once a camera is up, the retention policy and who gets access matter far more than the marketing copy about 'stopping theft rings.' Shoppers buying lumber or paint didn't sign up to have their movements logged in a private database they can't see or challenge.
Credit to Banking With Billy for surfacing this before it becomes background noise. If you want to see how dense this camera network already is in your area, check our map, and if you'd rather not just watch it happen, our take-action page has concrete steps for pushing back at the local level.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Banking With Billy, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.