Coop installs AI cameras at self-checkout without notice to privacy regulator
Coop deployed AI-powered surveillance cameras at self-checkout kiosks in several Swiss stores to detect theft, analyzing customer behavior in real time without prior notice to the federal privacy regulator or clear customer disclosure. The Swiss privacy authority announced it would investigate whether the system complies with legal requirements for transparency and proportionality.
What happened
Coop installed AI-powered surveillance cameras at self-checkout kiosks in some of its stores to detect suspicious behavior and prevent theft. The cameras analyze customer behavior in real time using AI software that alerts staff when it detects suspicious activity.
The cameras were installed without prior notice to the Eidgenössischer Datenschutz- und Öffentlichkeitsbeauftragte (EDÖB), Switzerland's federal privacy regulator. Coop informed customers only through pictograms at store entrances and stated that no facial recognition technology was used. Staff were instructed not to discuss the system with customers.
Reported impact
Privacy experts and data protection authorities expressed concern about the lack of transparency. François Charlet, a privacy law specialist, stated that customers would not expect surveillance cameras to use artificial intelligence and that general information about the system was insufficient to properly inform customers.
The EDÖB acknowledged Coop's legitimate interest in store security but stated that legal principles—particularly transparency and proportionality—must be observed.
Index analysis
The AI system's decision to alert staff based on detected suspicious behavior was made without established consent from customers and without proper disclosure of the surveillance capability. The deployment of AI analysis on customer behavior at self-checkout represents a surveillance capability beyond standard CCTV recording.
Governance controls
The EDÖB announced it would contact Coop to discuss compliance with Swiss data protection law. Coop justified withholding technical details by citing company policy that prohibits disclosing information about security infrastructure.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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