Imagine if you found out that you were caught on a stores video camera changing in their dressing room, and the stores response was “we were only trying to gather information to make our store better.” To me, that is an invasion of privacy, but it turns out that we as shoppers don’t have any privacy rights at all!

To begin, I don’t think that stores should be aloud to spy on you because some stores hide cameras in their store mannequins to detect your age, sex, and even your ethnicity. Also, stores hide gaze trackers in the holes of their shelving, and they detect which brands you’re looking at, and how long you are looking at them for. Some stores argue that they are only trying to improve their stocks on what people buy, and that the information that they are gathering is going to make them more successful. However, some people believe that this spying is shameless, and should not continue to go on.
Next, new technology allows stores to track shoppers phones, and they can watch you shop. Cisco, known as the technology giant, is now testing a system at an undisclosed store. It automatically detects your mobile device, and connects you to the retailers free Wi-Fi. Once the customer gets on the network, he has opted in, and the privacy concerns are allayed. Once you get on, the store can get into your phone and steel information. Creepy right? Many stores around the globe do this on a daily bases to update their stores look and stock, just by following up on their customers information. Stores like Sears to tiny boutiques are in life-and-death struggle survival compared to online stores. So, brick-and-mortar stores use cell phone tracking just to stay alive. However, on line tracking is a little too far.
Finally, stores have been monitoring and tracking returns, and exchanges for years to identify and prevent the 1 percent that are fraudulent. Now, some stores are even rewarding the honest 99 percent of customers who return items with special offers-say, a 20 percent discount or 10$ off a specific item someone likes, just to get shoppers to spend their refunds. Not only are store spying on us, but there tricking us too!
In conclusion, not only do stores watch us on camera to catch someone stealing, it is so much more complicated. Stealing information from loyal customers is not only an invasion of privacy, it is just wrong, and should not be allowed to continue.