French supermarkets deploy AI to catch shoplifters as privacy debate looms

French supermarkets are officially turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to detect shoplifting, marking a significant shift toward monitoring customer movements in real time. The newly incorporated software scrutinizes suspicious gestures, such as putting an item into a bag or repeatedly touching products without scanning. It then sends a short video clip to store staff for immediate review.

In this connection, Nelson Lopes, a manager of a Montreuil supermarket near Paris said: “When we get an alert, it might be a simple gesture, it might be an ambiguous gesture. But the worst is concealment, or its hands going into bags.”

Privacy concerns rise amid AI surveillance in commercial spaces

While this technology is a staple of the modern era, it currently occupies a legal grey area. France has no specific law explicitly authorizing behavioral AI surveillance in commercial spaces; however, stores are still required to inform customers when it is in use. Ultimately, individuals remain concerned with maintaining their privacy all the time.

Under France's data protection authority, the CNIL (National Commission on Informatics and Liberties) is crystal clear: deploying cameras and analyzing personal data on a massive scale for commercial purposes is forbidden without a specific law.

Despite this institutional admonition, the French software start-up Veesion has equipped 2,000 to 3,000 stores across France. Moving forward, CEO of the company, Thibault David defends the tech emphasizing that it complies with European GDPR by not performing any form of biometric analysis.

Several shopkeepers argue that the AI software is merely a support tool to protect their livelihoods in the face of rising theft and a growing cost of living crisis. Proposals are currently being drafted to create a more regulated framework for AI surveillance, addressing the ongoing debate where security ends and invasive surveillance begin.