Illawarra's self-serve checkouts film you at all angles, should you be concerned

The cameras, it turns out, are part of artificial intelligence used to prevent theft and while some people might worry about sensitive data being stolen others understand the necessary evil, while legal experts have put it back to the businesses to do the right thing.

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At the weekend, a Shellharbour man caused heated debate on two private Facebook groups after discovering AI cameras at Woolworths captured him use a passcode to unlock his phone, enter his bank details to transfer funds, then push his PIN number to complete the transaction.

The man was appalled at lack of signage to alert him of the AI camera above his head, which also incorrectly mistook his daughter as a grocery item he hadn't scanned.

Woolworths have told the Mercury their "Scan Assist" technology was not new for them, and had now been rolled out to all of their 550 stores to help reduce missed scans of products and theft while other types of technology (like exit gates and body worn cameras) are being trialled at a handful of stores.

The use of AI technology is now being widely used at other retailers around the country.

A spokesman for Woolworths said the use of AI was to mitigate theft and customers would not be identifiable, while CCTV video cameras have been common-place throughout supermarkets for many years.

He said each digital ID obtained only focused on scanning behaviours and recorded low resolution footage where writing couldn't be recognised, though it was also revealed the footage could be reviewed or used in training.

"We have robust privacy policies and procedures as well as operational measures in place to ensure ongoing monitoring and oversight of the technologies we trial or implement," the spokesman said.

"Pinpads are silhouetted out and faces of customers are blurred."

Faces and PIN pads at the checkout were also blacked out, while there was signage to alert customers of the use of technology.

"Miss-scans can include products being left in baskets or trolleys, miss-scanning of products or passing a product through as something unrelated," the spokesman said.

"The cameras are positioned overhead and are angled to detect the activity through the assisted and staffed checkouts.

"If a miss-scan occurs, a short video highlights the affected product and customers then have the opportunity to re-scan it."

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Cheryl Adams, Balgownie

"It doesn't worry me. I suppose it's a good thing in one way [to] keep an eye on people," Cheryl Adams said.

Jordan Dudgeon, Albion Park

"It's a bit of an invasion of privacy, but I saw a video [online] where people are like 'It's taking all of your phone details and stuff', but ... I don't think that's the intent to take all of your bank account information."

"I don't use [self-serve checkouts] often because we do quite big shops, so we actually just go through people anyways ... so i don't care, I'm neutral."

Lilli Dudgeon, Dapto

"I don't see an issue with them, they're there to stop people from stealing," Lilli Dudgeon said.

"The intent isn't to take your information it's literally there to just stop people from stealing."

Luke Westblade, Cordeaux Heights

"I definitely wasn't aware of the [camera] above people [at the self-serve checkout]," Luke Westblade said.

"I wouldn't have any issues with the privacy because you're in a public place. You've been filmed in most public places anyway ... [but] if that's going to help prevent theft in the future, which I'm assuming that self-serve check out actually has quite a lot of theft because it's there's not a barcode when you're walking out, it's not gonna go off."

Joann Nicholson, Jervis Bay

"Well it's good, so people don't steal stuff ... but what if [information] could it get into the wrong hands and they can take money out of your account?"

Vello Smith, Wollongong

"It's just the effects of how things have progressed not just in Australia but in many countries and just an unfortunate necessity," said Vello Smith, noting he understands retailers wouldn't directly be out to source sensitive information.

"I think it's going to get worse before it gets better with technology, so I think we're at the front line where we're going to make a lot of mistakes with this AI and, I think there's going to be a transition period."

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It is illegal in New South Wales to make a visual recording of a person "in a private act in a private place" without their consent, but a retail store or supermarket is a public place.

Experts Roba Abbas and Katina Michael, from the University of Wollongong's faculty of Business and Law, said it gets "complicated" when a person is visually recorded engaging in a private act (such as conducting a bank transfer) in a public place without their consent.

However, the duo said covert and overt surveillance - through CCTV footage and AI technology - had become normalised in everyday settings and it was up to businesses to have ethical guidelines and protocols around how employees dealt with that sensitive information.

"There is - and should be - an expectation that the footage will not be used for nefarious purposes and destroyed within a given time period," the pair told the Mercury in a statement.

"Organisations [should] have clear policies and guidelines stipulating how collected data and visual surveillance footage will be used. It is imperative that the public is well informed of any changes to retail and other public spaces that they frequent in line with such policies and guidelines."

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