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Is Walmart's Global Security Division going too far?
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matt
about 1 year ago about Wal-Mart
Walmart is hiring intelligence and data mining specialists for its corporate security operations. Their notion of corporate security goes beyond simply guarding their facilities and into the realm of intelligence operations. It seems that included among the information resources they use to identify threats are their own customer/employee/supplier databases. With Walmart’s tremendous reach, those databases surely contain a wealth of information, and perhaps there are a few nuggets that will help them protect their business. The problem as I see it is the millions of people whose privacy will be routinely violated in the course of these operations. I guess I shouldn’t really be surprised—privacy is dead.
The other troubling aspect of this is that, in effect, Walmart is conducting intelligence operations on average Americans in ways that would be illegal if the government were doing it. (This is a growing trend—companies like ChoicePoint are also used to conduct data mining operations for the government, doing so outside of the normal oversight process intended to prevent abuses of power.)
This is a story about Wal-Mart
Other recent stories about Wal-Mart
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- PUBLIC PROTEST OF WAL-MART CEREAL ISLE PRODUCTS [read more]
- Walmart.com Hangs Up the Phone
- Walmart.com recently (and quietly) launched an initiative dubbed “customer contact reduction” where they intend to deprive online customers of any way to connect with a live customer service agent should they have any questions about their online sale. [read more]
- Concerned for pfamily/personL Saftey, beware WalMart
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- Wal-Mart Publically Assesses Supply Chain for "Green-ability"
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submitted by skyking about 1 year ago
1. Deter hiring undesirables into Coi. 2. May deter terrorists. Otherwise Invasion of Privacy. Wal Mart should examine its Overseas stores First, then those in the US & or Hire Citziens for jobs./ Maybe Boost pay & benefits some.
Ploy can be: Anti Union Credible threat. Deter hiring undesierables Safeguard Corp.
Thats ALL I can see this for. Everyone undergoes background checks esp for: cashier & Finance positions alone. Handling personel records alone, infant care. Thats routine. This is Scary 1. Hiring wise 2. Customer views on Walmart IE invade privacy.
Or will Wal Mart lose some laptop & data & out go X000 names lost for ID theft??? Can the Unit be that Good???
Can't be that bad... until you read who is being recruited
submitted by ryan (verified representative for dotherightthing.com) about 1 year ago
I was thinking to myself, as someone who generally ignores any concerns about “privacy,” this can’t be that bad… until I read the first line of the BusinessWeek article, linked above:
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has been recruiting former military and government intelligence officers for a branch of its global security office aimed at identifying threats to the world’s largest retailer, including from “suspect individuals and groups.”
Thanks for the great post, Matt.
I'm not surprised.
submitted by areak about 1 year ago
I love shopping at Wal-Mart, I must admit, but have they ever been known for any “good” practices? Not that I’m aware of. And OMG – intelligence? Uh, yeah that surpasses “security” by far. Now I have to worry about my privacy possibly being invaded by a store too??? I may have to rethink my love of shopping at Wal-Mart, I guess we the people have given them the power and growth they have attained. This is scary.
submitted by dsk about 1 year ago
I continue to be amazed that a company that so many people appear to loathe and one that receives plenty of bad press continues to do so well. Areak, you’re not the first person I’ve heard that doesn’t like their policies but continues to shop there.
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submitted by LaurenS 9 months ago
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