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A NEW Amazon grab-and-go self-checkout store has sparked privacy concerns among customers left unsupervised to shop freely without cashiers or employees.
Amazon‘s new highly advanced grab-and-go pop-up shops are popping up at arenas and venues across Toronto and Calgary, Canada.
All shoppers must do is scan a credit or debit card at the entrance of the small shop, grab whatever items they desire, and walk out.
The store is surrounded by advanced technology, including computers, sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence, to process the data and track customers’ purchases.
But, the state-of-the-art shop has some customers worried about privacy concerns.
Jon Jenkins, the vice president of Amazon’s Just Walk Out, reassured customers that there is no facial recognition at any pop-up shop.
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“Definitely no facial recognition in a Just Walk Out store. We don’t use any sort of biometrics,” Jenkins told CBC News.
However, global privacy expert Ann Cavoukian warned customers to inquire about as many details as possible about the shop.
“Ask for the details, and what they’re going to collect, how long they’re going to retain it. Things of that nature, ” Cavoukian told the outlet.
Cavoukian also stressed the importance of knowing if the cashier-less stores will share your banking information with any other third party without your consent.
US TAKEOVER
Amazon’s new shopping experience stores have also invaded the United States, popping up in airports and venues nationwide.
The Hudson Nonstop convenience store partnered with the tech giant to use its technology in several airport locations, including Los Angeles, Texas, and Chicago.
The cashier-less Hudson Nonstop stores can be found at Dallas Love Field, Dallas Fort Worth, Chicago Midway, and O’Hare airports.
Meanwhile, in February, a Whole Foods Market store in Glover Park, Washington, became the chain’s first to feature Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.
Amazon, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, tested its Just Walk Out concept in October during the city’s Kraken hockey and Seahawks football games.
