Been to a CVS or a Target lately? Then you’ve probably encountered basic items, from toiletries to alcohol, in a locked case.

If you’re like me, you’ve decided to auto-order online versus wait for an employee to unlock the fluoride-enriched toothpaste your dentist recommends. But San Diego-based startup Indyme has a solution.

What’s that?

Freedom Case, a touch-screen device that works like this:

• Customers use their cell phone number, retailers’ apps or loyalty cards, or even facial recognition to open a case.
• The case monitors the shopper’s behavior and reports anything suspicious to staff.

Here’s a video of some guys using it for a gin and tonic and a shave.

What’s the point?

Retailers claim shoplifting is on the rise (though some of those reports may have been inflated). So, they’re locking up items they say are popular with thieves, including cosmetics, contraceptives, and baby formula.

But people hate them:

• According to Indyme CEO Joe Budano, cases can reduce store sales by 15%-25%.
• One study found that 71% of shoppers are less likely to make an in-store purchase if confronted with theft deterrent measures.
• Newer brands suffer when customers can’t inspect products.
• They’re a waste of time for employees working at already short-staffed retailers.

The Freedom Case could solve some of these problems by largely removing employees from the process while still protecting merchandise.

One shopper told the Associated Press that entering her phone number felt “invasive,” but if you’re feeling very private, Freedom Case will let you call an employee.

In June…

… the INFORM Consumers Act took effect, requiring online vendors to disclose info about third-party sellers that sell high volumes of consumer products — the likes of which might be stolen from retailers — or face $50k+ in fines per violation.

Maybe if that pans out we can go back to smelling all the deodorants at Walgreens.

Here’s your list of top streaming services that didn’t increase prices in the last year:

… Then let’s add in password-sharing crackdowns, upcharges to dodge ads, and subscription fatigue from the sheer number of services available.

The cost of watching one’s stories has never felt higher. As a result, people are heading back to illegal streaming sites, per Bloomberg.

Piracy never went away

Ferreting out free content is as foundational to the internet as cat videos. But entering this decade, illegal video streaming sites faced significant headwinds:

• Many consumers ditched shady, pop-up-riddled sites for the ease and relative affordability of legitimate streaming services.
• US laws changed: 2020 legislation turned running a streaming operation from a misdemeanor into a felony.
• Hollywood bit back: Since 2018, the Motion Picture Association has taken 1.2k+ illegal streamers offline in North America alone.

In 2020, global visits to video piracy sites had dropped to 104B; by 2023, that number rose back to ~141B.

What now?

Just as the cost of getting quality, above-board content has risen, the illegal streaming industry has grown more sophisticated — and more enticing for consumers looking to save a buck.

• In 2022, piracy increased 39% for films and 9% for TV shows globally.

Some illegitimate streaming operations are making ~$2B annually through ads and subscriptions while growing harder to shut down (think: accepting subscription payments in untraceable cryptocurrency).

The MPA will keep fighting

The Hollywood trade group’s leader, Charlie Rivkin, spared no punches on piracy, telling Bloomberg: “This is organized crime.”

• The MPA’s special anti-piracy unit is led by a Marine Corps and Interpol veteran who previously fought drug trafficking.

This may help them get more law enforcement support: A US Chamber of Commerce estimate says the American economy loses $30B in annual revenue, and ~250k jobs, to illegal streaming.

Though, to be fair, Hollywood is pretty good at slashing jobs — it cut 44k between May and October 2023 — all on its own.