Sainsbury’s has begun testing the use of controversial facial recognition technology in its UK shops as part of efforts to tackle shoplifters.
The UK’s second largest supermarket chain told staff in two stores – a supermarket in Sydenham, south-east London, and convenience store in Oldfield Park in Bath– that it was starting an eight-week trial before potentially rolling out the technology nationwide.
Sainsbury’s has said the technology is part of its efforts to identify shoplifters and curb a sharp increase in retail crime in recent years, but privacy campaigners condemned the plans as “chilling”.
The number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales rose last year to the highest level on record, according to the latest official figures released in April, surpassing half a million offences for the first time.
Use of facial recognition in shops has been heavily criticised in recent years, with rival Asda facing thousands of complaints after launching its own similar trial earlier this year.
A Metropolitan police plan to widen the use of live facial recognition technology at “mass events” was criticised by the equalities regulator as unlawful last month, after research indicated that black men were proportionally more likely to trigger an alert. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said its use was intrusive and could have a “chilling effect” on individuals’ rights.
Bosses at Sainsbury’s, which has more than 1,400 shops across the country, said the planned rollout was “not about monitoring colleagues” or customers.
The supermarket chain is working with the facial recognition business Facewatch as part of the trial. Fellow retailers Home Bargains, Flannels, Costcutter and Sports Direct have reportedly used similar Facewatch technology in stores to identify shoplifters.
Sainbury’s said the technology would be used to help it identify and potentially ban people who are “violent, aggressive or steal in the store”.
The company said records would be deleted instantly if the software did not recognise the face of reported individuals. It added that the system issued an alert based on criminal behaviour submitted by the store or other retailers using Facewatch nearby.
Madeleine Stone, the senior advocacy officer at the privacy group Big Brother Watch, told PA Media: “Sainsbury’s decision to trial Orwellian facial recognition technology in its shops is deeply disproportionate and chilling.
“Sainsbury’s should abandon this trial and the government must urgently step in to prevent the unchecked spread of this invasive technology.”
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Sainsbury’s said incidents of theft, abuse and threatening behaviour “continue to rise” despite working with the police and the government, adding that it was “affecting Sainsbury’s teams across the UK daily”.
Simon Roberts, the retailer’s chief executive, said: “We have listened to the deep concerns our colleagues and customers have and they’re right to expect us to act. The retail sector is at a crossroads, facing rising abuse, antisocial behaviour and violence. We must put safety first.
“We understand that facial recognition technology can raise valid questions about data and privacy. This trial and subsequent rollout is not about monitoring colleagues or our valued customers.
“It’s focused solely on identifying serious offenders who have committed acts of violence, aggression or theft, helping our teams prevent further harm.”
Joanne Thomas, the general secretary of the Usdaw union, said: “We welcome Sainsbury’s ongoing programme of work to protect retail workers and customers from the continued threat of abuse and violence in stores.
“We look forward to seeing the results of the trial of facial recognition software and will continue to work closely with Sainsbury’s to support a responsible, evidence-led approach to tackling retail crime.”
