Sainsbury’s is set to implement controversial facial recognition technology in its stores for the first time, aiming to tackle shoplifting incidents. By utilizing CCTV, the supermarket chain will automatically scan customers’ faces to identify and potentially bar individuals exhibiting violent, aggressive, or thieving behavior within the store.
Despite the intention to enhance security measures, the use of facial recognition has faced criticism from privacy advocacy groups. Big Brother Watch, a campaigning organization, has condemned the technology as “Orwellian,” emphasizing its potential to unfairly label shoppers as suspects, leading to severe repercussions in their lives.
The initiative will commence as an eight-week trial at two Sainsbury’s locations: the Sydenham superstore in London and the Bath Oldfield Sainsbury’s Local branch, with the possibility of expanding nationwide if successful. Sainsbury’s management clarified that the primary focus is not to surveil employees or loyal customers.
As part of the trial, Sainsbury’s has partnered with Facewatch, a facial recognition company. Similar technologies have been reportedly employed by other retailers like Home Bargains, Flannels, and Sports Direct to identify shoplifters within their premises.
Sainsbury’s assured that facial recognition data will be promptly erased if unrecognized, and alerts will only be triggered based on criminal behavior reported by the store or neighboring retailers utilizing Facewatch.
The supermarket highlighted a rise in incidents of theft, abuse, and threatening behavior, despite collaborative efforts with law enforcement and governmental authorities, affecting Sainsbury’s staff nationwide on a daily basis.
Simon Roberts, Sainsbury’s chief executive, emphasized the necessity of prioritizing safety amid escalating abuse and violence in the retail sector. Acknowledging concerns around data privacy, he stressed that the technology’s purpose is solely to identify serious offenders to prevent further harm.
In response, Joanne Thomas, general secretary of Usdaw union representing shopworkers, expressed support for Sainsbury’s efforts to safeguard retail workers and customers from ongoing threats of abuse and violence, calling for a responsible approach to combatting retail crime.
Conversely, Madeleine Stone from Big Brother Watch criticized Sainsbury’s decision to trial facial recognition technology, denouncing it as excessively intrusive and potentially harmful. Stone raised concerns about the risk of innocent individuals being wrongly accused and mistreated due to surveillance practices.
In a similar vein, rival supermarket Asda initiated live facial recognition trials at select stores in Greater Manchester earlier this year to address retail crime issues, following in the footsteps of other retailers like Iceland utilizing this technology.
