Target Australia sets the record straight on basket tracking after US outcry
Target Australia has reassured local customers that it does not fit in store tracking devices on shopping baskets, addressing concerns after viral footage from the United States triggered an international privacy storm.
Nine.com.au was told Target Australia shopping baskets “do not contain tracking devices”. They added that some stores do use security tags on baskets to help prevent them from being taken outside the store.
Target Australia has reassured local customers that it doesn’t use the technology. TikTok/@user60342208753
While sharing the same red-and-white bullseye branding, Target Australia is an entirely separate entity owned by retail giant Wesfarmers, operating independently of the American tier of the business.
The reassurance comes after a social media storm triggered by an American Target employee named Elijah posted a video on TikTok under the username @user60342208753 which has since been viewed 8.8 million times.
A Target US employee named Elijah posted the video on TikTok. TikTok/@user60342208753
Standing on the retail floor in uniform, Elijah said: “Hello, I just want to make a PSA: You are now being tracked at Target. These baskets, this thing? That’s a tracker.
“So they’re now tracking shoppers at Target, at your local Target, for, supposedly, consumer habits.”
He then flipped the camera to reveal a small, rectangular black module screwed directly onto the side of a red handheld basket.
The video spread across TikTok, X, and Reddit, racking up more than 8.8 million views. Viewers flooded the comments with unease, drawing swift comparisons to dystopian Black Mirror storylines and joking about ditching store gear entirely. After temporarily making the clip private due to the sheer volume of attention, Elijah uploaded a follow-up video explaining his decision to speak out.
“The main takeaway from my last video is that big companies are doing even more stuff to get more of your data,” he said. “They’re just gonna sell that to maximise profits.“
Elijah uploaded a follow-up video explaining his decision to speak out. TikTok/@user60342208753
Target US has been contacted for comment.
While the viral clip felt like a sudden revelation, in-store tracking hardware has been quietly expanding through global retail for years in many forms both in Australia and in the US.
Surveillance technology in retail settings is now commonplace. iStock
These have including smart trolleys and camera technology fitted at entrances, exits, throughout stores, and even in aisles on shelves.
Target in the US maintains via its website that these spatial technologies exist for operational logistics such as optimising layouts, managing stock, and assisting shoppers through app navigation rather than building personal surveillance profiles.
