Grocery Outlet uses facial recognition technology to reduce shoplifting
Grocery Outlet has deployed facial recognition technology in its stores as a measure to reduce shoplifting. The retailer joins a growing number of businesses turning to biometric surveillance to address retail theft.
Why this matters: Every person who walks into a Grocery Outlet is now being scanned, not just people who steal. That is the basic math of facial recognition in retail. You did not consent, you probably did not know, and you have no way to check whether your face is being stored, shared, or mismatched. Misidentification is a real and documented problem with this technology, and it tends to fall hardest on people of color. Stopping shoplifting is a legitimate goal. Running a biometric database on your entire customer base to do it is a significant choice, and most shoppers have no idea it is happening.
Who should care: Privacy officers · Cybersecurity · General readers · Policy
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