Supermarket Facial Recognition: "Attention. Miscreant in Asile 5."

The facial recognition system used by New Zealand’s supermarket chain Foodstuffs to prevent retail crime is compliant with privacy rules but questions still remain about bias and negative impacts on Māori and Pacific people, according to the country’s privacy watchdog...

The trial covered 25 supermarkets in which more than 225.9 million faces were scanned ... the system was effective at reducing harmful behavior, especially reducing serious violent incidents...The system only identified people who have engaged in seriously harmful behavior, while people under 18 or deemed vulnerable were not included on the list.

The Privacy Commissioner’s Office is currently working on New Zealand’s first code of practice for regulating biometric data, slated to be released by mid-2025. more