They’re here to track you, for certain definitions of you
Of course, the page on which Home Depot makes its big “not cooperating with federal agencies” claim gives up the game a bit. That page is titled “IMMIGRATION ACTIVITY IN OUR PARKING LOTS,” and is all about ICE activity on Home Depot property — federal agents rounding up the day laborers who hang out near stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s, and U-Haul to offer themselves as help for folks taking on home improvement projects or moving. Lowe’s buries its statement on parking lot cameras deep in its broader Privacy and Security Statement page, where it too says it cooperates with state and local law enforcement to hand over footage and data.
Of course there’s also the other benefit of the panopticon, where everyone is on their best behavior when they can’t tell if they’re being watched. Just because we’ve shifted from “not knowing where the warden is looking” to “not knowing if anyone is sifting through all the data they have on you” doesn’t make it any less effective. It really is such a shame that these incredibly invasive cameras are constantly being knocked down, spray painted, and damaged.
