They’re here to trace you, for certain definitions of you
After all, the page on which Home Depot makes its big “not cooperating with federal agencies” claim gives up the sport a bit. That page is titled “IMMIGRATION ACTIVITY IN OUR PARKING LOTS,” and is all about ICE activity on Home Depot property — federal agents rounding up the day laborers who hang around near stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s, and U-Haul to supply themselves as help for folk taking over home improvement projects or moving. Lowe’s buries its statement on parking zone cameras deep in its broader Privacy and Security Statement page, where it too says it cooperates with state and native law enforcement at hand over footage and data.
After all there’s also the opposite advantage of the panopticon, where everyone seems to be on their best behavior when they can not tell in the event that they’re being watched. Simply because we have shifted from “not knowing where the warden is looking” to “not knowing if anyone is sifting through all the info they’ve on you” doesn’t make it any less effective. It truly is such a shame that these incredibly invasive cameras are always being knocked down, spray painted, and damaged.
This Article First Appeared At www.jalopnik.com
