US Company Installs Bullet Vending Machines in Stores
Gun owners in some parts of the US can now buy bullets from vending machines in grocery stores.
Previously, customers have been able to buy ammunition from specialist stores or online, but a company called American Rounds has given people another place to buy bullets.
Online, some people have described the new machines as "dystopian," but many others were happy to see them arrive in stores.
The company said people will now be able to buy bullets anytime they like, without standing in lines or waiting for specialist stores to open.
It added that the "easy to use" machines ask customers to scan their identification and use artificial intelligence to scan customers' faces — to make sure the faces match the identification.
In the US, people must be at least 18 years old to buy ammunition for rifles, and 21 to buy handgun bullets.
The machines will also give stores a record of who has bought the ammunition, which is something that many other shops have to do.
The problem that some people said they have with the machines is that the company might take or sell their personal data.
This is something that American Rounds CEO Grant Magers said the company wouldn't do. He called the vending machines the "safest" way to buy ammunition in the US.
The first machine was installed in Alabama, and Magers said that lots of stores are interested in getting the machines.
However, some say that the vending machines could be hacked, something that could mean bullets are sold to people under the age of 18.
