People Are Conspiring To Rob Employee-less Amazon Stores

A viral TikTok showcasing the latest Amazon experiment—employee-less stores that automatically charge you for what you walk out with—has people salivating at the opportunities for thievery and concerned about what an employee-less store may mean for the future.

The TikTok posted by @Uptin, which has gained over 2.6 million likes on the platform, shows him perusing Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations, which both utilize technology that automatically registers what a person takes from a store and charges an account for it, removing the need for checkout lines—and employees.

The video migrated to Twitter when @Th5_Oracle tweeted about it, leading to a diverse array of disapproving reactions. Many were disturbed at the surveillance implications of using cell phones and data to track consumer purchases.

Others were concerned at the loss of jobs the concept would instigate if it spread nationwide.

Others immediately began brainstorming how they would rob it.

According to @Uptin's TikTok, there are 30 Amazon Go stores spread around major cities in America. The stores have been around for several years, though this is the first time they've received significant backlash from social media. When Amazon first introduced the concept in 2016, they mentioned they'd hoped to open 2,000 locations in America.