A former Walmart employee went to the platform to warn people about the store’s self-checkout cameras, claiming that they’re harvesting personal information — even taking photos of customers as they’re ringing up purchases.
The video comes from creator AshtheTruth, who claims to have worked for the multi-billion dollar chain as an Asset Protection manager. She posted the video on the platform on Tuesday and has since attracted 1.8 million views. It starts by stitching another creator’s recording of a Walmart self-checkout scanner in action, and then Ash appears by saying, “I have been summoned.”
She presents her theories as to what’s happening with these devices and how Walmart is collecting customer data.
“So you see those little machines right there? Oh, yeah. So I had made a video about the cameras that they have that can see into your phone. Well, those ones at the register, they’re 10 times worse, my dude,” she says. “So, every time you scan something, it takes pictures of you and let me just tell you every time that you run your card through a Walmart scanner, they have a note of it.”
@ashthetruth21 #stitch with @righteousray2.0 @walmart building cases 500$ at a time. That’s is how people suddenly get notices they stole something and never talked to anyone #fyp #QuakerPregrain #walmart #peopleofwalmart #walmart2hrexpress #ealmartsucks #walmartfinds #walmartemployee #walmartmanagers ♬ original sound – AshtheTruth21
She then claims, “They can find you by your credit card,” before adding, “I don’t recommend using credit cards if you’re trying to do anything janky, my dude.”
Ash also alleges that “they also take a picture of your face and the card that they’re using. And they hold it and stored as a file.”
Noting that Walmart has long collected purchasing data on customers, her video asserts that it’s now going to new levels.
“If you want to protect your information, and your may or may not be doing janky shit, use cash and cover your ID,” she advises. “Those cameras can read into your wallet and they do.”
The video brought in comments both co-signing her views and asking questions.
One commenter noted, “And that’s why cash is king,” with another echoing, “One of the reasons why ‘they’ want to get rid of the cash system, they want complete control over us.”
Another took the information about ID card reading to mean that RFID-blocking wallets were necessary, though one commenter noted that Walmart sells these types of wallets in their stores.
The video did prompt some questions about why receipts were necessary for returns now, given the information that Walmart has — according to the video — about purchases.
And one commenter cracked, “So why the old lady at the front door checking my receipt then?” before adding a “my dude” in tribute.
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via comment and Walmart via its online form for media relations requests.
