Walmart self-checkout lanes come with cameras that record your every move. But what happens if you simply don’t let them?
That’s what one TikToker wanted to find out.
Last week, @themortgageengineer admitted in a video that he found it “distracting” to have to stare at a video of himself while purchasing his items. His initial plan was to cover the camera lens at Walmart’s self-checkout kiosk with a bandaid—something his followers didn’t think would go too well for him.
What happens if you cover the security camera at Walmart’s self-checkout?
He ultimately ran the experiment by simply placing his phone in front of the camera, allowing it to record him rather than Walmart’s monitoring system.
The checkout process took less than 30 seconds, and then the TikToker was walking out the door. Nobody said anything, and nobody stopped him.
“Nothing happened,” he said after exiting the store. “I covered it up with my phone and nothing happened. So there’s that.”
Self-checkout options have become somewhat contentious in recent years. There are a number of reasons for this, from the inconvenience of bagging your own purchases to getting stopped at the door for a receipt check. But feeling so closely monitored by the built-in cameras certainly isn’t helping.
That said, @themortgageengineer’s success in blocking the camera without drama may not actually mean anything. For one thing, his time at the self-checkout kiosk appeared to be so short that it simply may not have provided enough time for workers to notice and react. And viewers also pointed out that while the camera and video combo at the kiosk is intended to deter theft, those are far from the only cameras recording what Walmart customers are doing.
The visible security camera isn’t the only one
“The cameras that matter are above you and below the machine,” one user claimed. Another TikTok user actually shared a viral PSA alerting other shoppers to the extensive security cameras—including below the kiosk—in another video.
“They have cameras everywhere, the ones above the machines can pick up anything,” a second commenter agreed.
“Been doing it for years,” wrote another. “The only thing that happens is, AP takes an overhead and a few more pictures of you.”
@themortgageengineer Replying to @D_NorrisJr #MortgageEngineer #walmart ♬ original sound – The Mortgage Engineer
While @themortgageengineer didn’t have any problems leaving Walmart after doing self-checkout, it’s worth noting that some customers are subjected to much closer scrutiny even without covering up any cameras.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @themortgageengineer via TikTok comment and Walmart via the contact form on their website.
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