Smart carts promise speed, convenience, and a smoother grocery run. The pitch sounds harmless enough: grab what you need, skip the checkout line, and pay on the curved screen attached to the cart. But hidden inside the convenience is something else. Smart carts collect data constantly, and the path from helpful device to quiet surveillance system is short. Shoppers rarely know how much information follows them out the door, which is why the rise of smart carts matters far more than it first appears.
