Kathmandu— Retail workers are increasingly finding themselves under surveillance not by employers, but by customers equipped with wearable cameras such as the Ray-Ban Meta glasses. A recent incident at a Target store highlighted this growing issue when an employee was filmed while performing their duties, repeatedly questioned about pricing, and deliberately misgendered by two customers wearing the recording eyewear. The resulting video circulated online, raising concerns about privacy and potential harassment in retail environments.

Incident at Target

Toru Hinkle, a Target employee, encountered two customers who persistently requested price checks on an item despite being informed of the cost. Hinkle soon noticed a blinking light indicating one customer was recording with Ray-Ban Meta glasses. The customers continued to question Hinkle and deliberately misgendered both them and a manager who intervened.

Growing Concerns Over Customer Surveillance

The incident, reported by Mia Sato for The Verge, is part of a growing trend where customers utilize wearable cameras to film interactions with retail staff. Hinkle attempted to stop the recording by issuing the voice command “Meta, stop recording,” but it proved ineffective on another person’s device. The video was subsequently posted online and gained significant traction, eventually being discovered by a Target manager while browsing social media.

The incident underscores a new dynamic in customer-employee interactions, where workers are potentially subject to unconsented surveillance and harassment by patrons equipped with readily available recording technology.

(With inputs from Jacobin)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.