Cameras installed in a grocery store in Canada have sparked a furore on Twitter, with some people claiming that they are being used to surveil the population and limit their purchases. The posts have been circulating since March 7, 2023. Our team spoke to the store, Walmart, who said that they installed the cameras, which run on artificial intelligence and are used to monitor if the products on the shelves are well-stocked.

If you only have a minute:

• A video showing what looks like cameras installed in a Walmart aisle in the city of London, Ontario, Canada has been circulating on Twitter since March 7, 2023.

• These posts claim that the cameras are being used to control the amount of food purchased by clients or to surveil them using facial recognition software.

• Our team contacted Walmart, who said that the cameras were used to detect when products were out-of-stock on the shelves “to help us improve the availability of products for customers".

• We also spoke to a lawyer who works with an association of Canadian consumers. He said these allegations have no basis in reality.

The fact-check, in detail:

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