// THE VERGE — HARDWARE & GADGET
How a grocery merger could expand a surveillance network
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Kroger’s proposed merger could bring it lots of new data, in addition to storefronts.
Kroger’s proposed merger could bring it lots of new data, in addition to storefronts.
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Kroger’s $1.65 billion proposed acquisition of Giant Eagle might not only consolidate the grocery market, but also a vast surveillance network that includes Flock cameras, a new report warns.
Beyond standard concerns that a merger could decrease competition and increase prices, the American Economic Liberties Project (AELP), which advocates for competition policy reforms, says that the consolidation could also expand customer surveillance by a single company. It comes at a time where Americans are particularly on-edge about surveillance technologies like Flock cameras and surveillance pricing, heading into a midterm election largely defined by affordability issues.