Leading UK supermarkets and high-street retailers are confronting significant public and political backlash following revelations about their use of controversial facial recognition technology to combat shoplifting.
What is Facewatch and Which Retailers Use It?
According to a Sky News report, prominent chains including Sainsbury's, B&M, Asda, Costcutter, Budgens, and Sports Direct have subscribed to a system called Facewatch. This technology analyses live CCTV footage, comparing the faces of shoppers against a private database of individuals previously identified as known or suspected shoplifters.
When the software finds a potential match, it sends an instant alert to store staff. The system is designed to act as both a deterrent and an identification tool for retailers grappling with rising theft.
Privacy Campaigners Sound the Alarm
The adoption of this biometric surveillance has drawn fierce criticism from civil liberties groups. Silkie Carlo, the director of Big Brother Watch, has been a vocal opponent, labelling the practice a "very dangerous kind of privatised policing industry."
"It really threatens fairness and justice for us all," Carlo stated. "Because now it's the case that just going to do your supermarket shopping, a company is quietly taking your very sensitive biometric data. That's data that's as sensitive as your passport, and [it's] making a judgement about whether you're a criminal or not."
Human Error and Corporate Defence
The debate intensified after a reported case where Rennea Nelson was wrongly flagged as a shoplifter at a B&M store. She had been mistakenly added to the facial recognition database, triggering an alert when she entered.
A spokesperson for B&M addressed the incident, saying: 'This was a simple case of human error, and we sincerely apologise to Ms Nelson for any upset caused. Reported incidents like this are rare.' The spokesperson defended the system, asserting that Facewatch services "are designed to operate strictly in compliance with UK GDPR" and help protect staff from aggressive shoplifting incidents.
Nick Fisher, chief executive of Facewatch, responded to what he called "alarmist" language used by critics. "The inference of that is that we will identify people using biometric technology, hold and store their data. And that's just, quite frankly, misleading," he argued.
Fisher clarified that the company "only store and retain data of known repeat offenders," a practice he described as proportionate and responsible. He concluded: "I think in the world that we are currently operating in, as long as the technology is used and managed in a responsible, proportionate way, I can only see it being a force for good."
The controversy highlights the growing tension between retail security and personal privacy in the digital age, setting the stage for further scrutiny from regulators and the public.
