Arabic version: التعرّف على الوجوه يثير تساؤلات جديدة للمتاجر الكبرى

According to ABC News, facial recognition technology could change how supermarkets monitor customers by automatically scanning faces rather than simply recording footage. The technology creates a biometric template from distinct facial features, such as the distance between a person’s eyes or between their chin and forehead, then compares it with pre-extracted templates for verification or identification.

Conventional closed-circuit television systems are already widely used by retailers to record shoplifting and abusive behaviour. RMIT Marketing Technology Lab director Jason Pallant said CCTV requires security teams to manually review footage and identify people when necessary, while facial-recognition software can automatically scan faces and identify individuals. He said its primary purpose could be security, including identifying people known to have caused issues or people with outstanding police warrants.

The technology is used at Australia’s international airports through SmartGates, which check identity against a passport, and in smartphones that can be unlocked with a facial scan. Earlier this year, the Administrative Review Tribunal ruled Bunnings was reasonably entitled to use facial recognition in its stores. Bunnings says it is preparing to introduce the technology in Australian stores in line with that ruling, but a spokesperson confirmed it has not used it since a 2021 trial.

Coles and Woolworths recently confirmed they had tested the technology to combat retail crime, though not on Australian shoppers. Coles said its small, one-off controlled proof-of-concept did not use customer data and that it is not currently using facial recognition. The ABC understands Woolworths’ trial was conducted in its New Zealand office. Coles rejected claims the technology would be used to monitor staff or regular shoppers, or for marketing or pricing.

The Privacy Act neither explicitly permits nor bans facial recognition, according to Office of the Australian Information Commissioner guidance. Entities must comply with Australian Privacy Principles, and new automated-decision rules taking effect in December will require more privacy-policy information in some cases. Digital Rights Watch policy head Tom Solston called for a moratorium, citing concerns over privacy, accuracy, wrongful identification and data misuse.