Walmart
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| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1962 |
| Legal structure | Public |
| Industry | Retail |
| Official website | https://www.walmart.com/ |
Walmart Inc. is an American company known for its chain of retail stores and ubiquitous presence across many states and even countries.
Consumer impact summary
[edit | edit source]
Incidents
[edit | edit source]Facial recognition surveillance
[edit | edit source]Walmart's first use of facial recognition software dates back to 2015 from an experimental, temporary program but has only grown since then[1][2].
AI surveillance
[edit | edit source]It was reported in 2019 that Walmart uses AI-surveillance, internally dubbed Missed Scan Detection to monitor self-checkout as well as manned registers for the sake of detecting items that have not been scanned[2][3]. They do this using Everseen, a facial recognition software based in Ireland, and it had only been reported on two years into Walmart's usage of the technology in which the company eventually confirmed it [4][3].
Use of Clearview AI
[edit | edit source]In February 2020, Buzzfeed News published a detailed report on the usage of Clearview AI, a company that created AI-powered facial recognition software by scraping images all across the internet including social media accounts[citation needed]. In their report, it was found that Walmart had conducted nearly 300 searches on the facial recognition software[5], indicating the use of AI software to personally identify Walmart shoppers.
App spyware
[edit | edit source]The Walmart app uses a technology called Bluetooth beacon that sends data from users with the Walmart app to the company as the customer walks around the store[6].
Weighted groceries settlement
[edit | edit source]In 2022 a class action lawsuit was filed against Walmart in Florida mainly alledging that Walmart falsely inflated product weight, mislabeled weight of bagged produce and overcharged for sold-by-weight clearance products.[7] While Walmart denies any wrongdoing they agreed to pay $45 million to settle the case in 2024.[8]
Refusal to refund older bricked Onn devices (2025)
[edit | edit source]In June 2025, Walmart began updating their Onn streaming devices from Android 10 and 12 to 14. After the first attempt at the updates bricked older devices from 2021, Walmart's Onn customer support refused to grant refunds or replacements for devices over the one year manufacturer's warranty[citation needed].
Lawsuits
[edit | edit source]Walmart is facing a class action suit for allegedly violating an Illinois privacy law by using surveillance cameras and Clearview AI's facial recognition database[9]
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Roberts, Jeff John (9 Nov 2015). "Walmart's Use of Sci-fi Tech To Spot Shoplifters Raises Privacy Questions". Fortune.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Facial Recognition in Walmart stores". The Security Vision Database.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Peterson, Hayley (20 Jun 2019). "Walmart reveals it's tracking checkout theft with AI-powered cameras in 1,000 stores". Business Insider.
- ↑ Barkho, Gabriela (27 Jun 2019). "Walmart Confirms Use of AI-Powered Cameras to Detect Stealing". Observer.
- ↑ Mac, Ryan (27 Feb 2020). "Clearview's Facial Recognition App Has Been Used By The Justice Department, ICE, Macy's, Walmart, And The NBA". Buzzfeed News.
- ↑ Kwet, Michael. "In Stores, Secret Surveillance Tracks Your Every Move". The New York Times.
- ↑ "Amended class action complaint V. Kukorinis (and similarly situated) v. Wallmart Inc" (PDF). Retrieved 15 Mar 2025.
- ↑ McCarthy, Kelly (8 Apr 2024). "How Walmart shoppers can qualify for cash from $45 million settlement". ABC News. Retrieved 15 Mar 2025.
- ↑ Haskins, Caroline (6 Sep 2022). "Walmart is facing a class action suit for allegedly violating an Illinois privacy law by using surveillance cameras and Clearview AI's facial recognition database". Business Insider.