# Hidden microphones under tables in Restaurants, specifically Outback Steakhouse? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 3, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356 "2004-03-03T18:15:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/1 "2004-03-03T18:15:26Z")
Heard a radio report a month or two ago on my way to work. It seems some magazine(I thought it was “D Magazine” but I can’t find the story on their site) had broken a story about restaurants starting to have hidden microphones under tables and recording conversations. The theory was that this would help improve the service by allowing management to scan for things like “Where is that damn waiter!” and “They screwed up my order.” The other implications are obvious but were not mentioned as the official line of the companies who were practicing this. Supposedly restaurants who follow this practice have disclaimers posted(a sticker on the door according to my memory of the radio report) about conversations being recorded for quality control purposes. The only resturant which was mentioned by name on the radio report was the Outback Steakhouse. We had a group go to the Outback from work yesterday and we couldn’t find such a sticker or other disclaimer. I’ve Googled, I’ve Lexis/Nexis’d, I’ve searched the D Magazine homepage. I can’t find anything on it but my memory of the radio report is clear on every detail except the name of the magazine. Does anyone know of this practice or has anyone seen/heard similar reports? Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/2 "2004-03-03T18:25:17Z")
_“Quick, table #5 needs more Beano.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/3 "2004-03-03T18:29:29Z")
No restaurant would be stupid enough to do this. Once customers found out about it (and they _would_ eventually find out about it) their business would go down the tubes. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/4 "2004-03-03T18:39:43Z")
[Not much](http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/info_and_tech/it_is_for_your_own_good.htm), bur ir’s a start: > [@](#): > > The New York Times reports that some of the city’s finest restaurants have installed cameras to monitor your meal. You wouldn’t notice, unless you happen to look up at the ceiling, where a small camera lens is peering down at you, conveying the image back to a screen in the kitchen. > … > In addition to the cameras, the Times reports that more and more restaurants are building personal profiles on their customers, compiling databases that include your phone number, address, profession, eating preferences, how much you drink, et cetera. Again, this nosy bit of data collection is done in the name of efficiency and meeting customers’ desires - but the bottom line is that your intimate dining experiences are being watched, recorded, stored, and used without your permission. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/5 "2004-03-03T19:11:07Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > No restaurant would be stupid enough to do this. Once customers found out about it (and they _would_ eventually find out about it) their business would go down the tubes. and the law suits would follow quickly afterwards. Restaurants _know_ customers don’t like the waiting staff earwigging on their conversations. So there’s no way they’d try this and expect no complaints. As for them building a database on you; they only know about what you tell them. Those who surrender this information for special offers/loyalty cards/no reason only have themselves to blame. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/6 "2004-03-03T19:17:52Z")
I think I’ve found your answer. There was an article on the subject in _D Magazine_’s February 2004 issue. [This page of _D Magazine’s_ “FrontBurner”](http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/archives/week_2004_01_25.html) column contains the following “Correction” for January 29 of this year: > [@](#): > > In our February issue, now in subscribers’ hands, we made a mistake in an article about Digital Witness, a local company that operates audio and video surveillance systems for its clients, many of which are restaurants. Some of these restaurants mic tables with Digital Witness equipment as a tool for training waitstaff. In our article titled “Big Brother Is Watching,” we said that Sonny Bryan’s, Bone Daddy’s, Tom Tom Noodle House, and Outback Steakhouse “are listening in on your lunch.” That is not true. While those restaurants are Digital Witness customers, they do not utilize mics at tables. We regret the error. This may be why you haven’t been able to find the article on-line–_D Magazine_ has likely pulled it from their on-line editions. Of course, Digital Witness could be lying about not using mics at tables…but it looks like the radio report you heard could have been based on this later-corrected article. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/7 "2004-03-03T19:19:44Z")
Seems to me it’d be cheaper to hire another waiter or two than to install all those microphones and hire people to monitor them. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/8 "2004-03-03T19:25:03Z")
Well, let’s assume that they \* are \* doing it to improve your dining experience. Let’s examine the practicality of that in any restaurant big enough to justify the expense. Let’s assume 50 tables. Therefore, at least 50 conversations happening in parallel, modulo a few silent eaters. Just how likely is it that any snippet of conversation such as “where is that waitor?” or “this steak is too rare – I’ve seen cows get better that was hurt worse than that.” will stand out from the babble? And if they adopt a scanning approach, well, the odds of picking up anything useful are minimal. Now, who’s going to do the listening? Any restaurant I’ve ever heard of has people working full out. Not too many waiters, waitresses, managers, or cooks are going to have time to sit around listening to conversations. Unless you’re dining at the FBI Bar and Grill, I don’t think you have to worry about microphones under the table. But it is possible that the magazine got pranked – I could imagine some fun loving jokester clandestinely putting up a sign saying “Conversations might be monitored.” just to see what would happen. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/9 "2004-03-03T19:38:54Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > …Unless you’re dining at the FBI Bar and Grill… I can see their motto now: “We give new meaning to the word ‘tips’!” ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/10 "2004-03-03T20:00:29Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > I think I’ve found your answer. There was an article on the subject in _D Magazine_’s February 2004 issue. > … > Of course, Digital Witness could be lying about not using mics at tables…but it looks like the radio report you heard could have been based on this later-corrected article. Thanks **Duke**. That’s pretty much exactly what I was looking for. That [Digital Witness](http://www.digitalwitness.net/index.html) company looks mighty scary. Although I will say this for them, they have their ducks in a row. > [@](#): > > Kelby Hagar - President & CEO > Mr. Hagar is a Harvard educated attorney and CPA > … > After leading GroceryWorks through a merger with Safeway, Inc. in 2000, Mr. Hagar left GroceryWorks and formed Digital Witness, LP, a new company dedicated to the development of software applications that enable multi-location businesses to utilize surveillance technology to improve their management and marketing efficiencies. Mr. Hagar graduated from Angelo State University magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and from Harvard Law School cum laude with a doctor of jurisprudence degree. With a CEO who is a Harvard-educated Lawyer I’d guess they know exactly what they’re dealing with as far as privacy and legal issues go. Another thing you can say for them, they’re willing to put their money where their mouth is. On their site you can get a “Live Demo” of their product and get this. > [@](#): > > Select OK and you will be connected to a system at our corporate offices. Anyone feel like checking out Mr Hagar and seeing if he surfs the Dope? Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/11 "2004-03-03T20:02:33Z")
From the quote in **Duke’s** post: “Some of these restaurants mic tables with Digital Witness equipment as a tool for training waitstaff.” It then goes on to say that the **particular** restaurants listed don’t do this. The logical question, then, is which restaurants **do** do this? The clarification could stand some, er, clarification. ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/12 "2004-03-03T22:12:43Z")
Sometimes you want to go, where everybody can access your name from a centralized data mining application… ---
**Author:** ![Truth\_Seeker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Truth\_Seeker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truth_Seeker)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/13 "2004-03-03T23:24:46Z")
> [@stuyguy](#): > > I can see their motto now: > > “We give new meaning to the word ‘tips’!” Heh. Back just before Clinton gave Gerry Adams a visa, a group of Irish-Americans in New York City with links to Sinn Fein, met to plan how to convey Adams’ request to the White House and how to lobby on his behalf. They knew what they were planning was a political bombshell so they decided to meet outside their usual “territory” where no one would recognize them. They chose an Italian restaurant with big booths and lots of privacy so no one would overhear their discussions. It turned out, however, that the restaurant was a mafia hangout and that the FBI had bugged the place. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/14 "2004-03-04T01:38:14Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Now, who’s going to do the listening? Obviously, a computer. With a voice recognition program. Voice recognition programs do have to be trained to the individual speaker when you want to achieve high accuracy transcription to text, but not for something like this. All you need is for the system to recognize of a limited number of ‘trigger’ words by any speaker, and then flag that section of the tape for review by a human. Years ago, it was alleged that the Secret Service had such a system in operation, with huge computers monitoring all the international calls in/out of the USA, listening for keywords like “assasination”, etc. With modern technology, a single PC could probably do this for dozens of tables. So it should be technically feasable. Whether it’s cost effective, or an efficient way of monitoring service is another question. How much does it cost to have those little self-addressed “How was your dining experience?” cards at each table? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/15 "2004-03-04T11:59:39Z")
Assuming this could be done, I don’t think it makes any sense for a restaurant to place hidden microphones under the table. A place like Outback Steakhouse has a large turnover in employees. Plus, restaurants (even chains) tend to go out of business frequently. I just don’t think the expense is worth the perceived benefit. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/16 "2004-03-04T12:57:28Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Years ago, it was alleged that the Secret Service had such a system in operation, with huge computers monitoring all the international calls in/out of the USA, listening for keywords like “assasination”, etc. NSA, wudnit? > [@](#): > > With modern technology, a single PC could probably do this for dozens of tables. So it should be technically feasable. Whether it’s cost effective, or an efficient way of monitoring service is another question. How much does it cost to have those little self-addressed “How was your dining experience?” cards at each table? As cheap as email? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/17 "2004-03-04T23:01:40Z")
In a related vein, when Walt Disney was planning the VIP dining lounge Club 23 for Disneyland, one of his original ideas was to have all the tables equipped with microphones. Guests would place their orders by speaking into the table’s centerpiece, and an employee in the back room would take their order. He nixed that idea in the end, tho. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/18 "2004-03-04T23:44:23Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > No restaurant would be stupid enough to do this. Once customers found out about it (and they _would_ eventually find out about it) their business would go down the tubes. Don’t be so sure about that. Here in Wisconsin, American TV & Appliance (a large, multi-store business) had microphones all over the stores and on the people working there as well. When the story broke in the news, people were pissed, and the stores had to publicly appologize. But their still alive and well. This proves 2 things: 1) businesses are stupid enough to pull this shit, & 2)it might not put them out of business when word get’s out. Of course, conversations at a restaurant table are more intimate than those in a department store. People would get really pissed about it! ---
**Author:** ![Truth\_Seeker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Truth\_Seeker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truth_Seeker)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/19 "2004-03-05T01:35:50Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > No restaurant would be stupid enough to do this. Once customers found out about it (and they _would_ eventually find out about it) their business would go down the tubes. As **pkbites** points out, probably not. In the U.S., department and clothing stores often have security cameras in the dressing rooms where customers are trying on clothes. You’d think people would find this outrageous and refuse to shop at these stores. But they don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356/20 "2004-03-05T02:25:42Z")
> [@Truth Seeker](#): > > As **pkbites** points out, probably not. In the U.S., department and clothing stores often have security cameras in the dressing rooms where customers are trying on clothes. You’d think people would find this outrageous and refuse to shop at these stores. But they don’t. I thought this was illegal in most jurisdictions. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hidden-microphones-under-tables-in-restaurants-specifically-outback-steakhouse/232356.md?page=2)