U.S. retailers could soon adopt facial recognition tech to stop thieves – but privacy advocates warn shoppers will be watched without their knowledge
- U.S. retailers are expected to adopt facial recognition tech for security purposes
- But the move isn’t without privacy concerns, as advocates say many consumers are likely to be unaware that their faces are being recorded by the systems
- Retailers hope to increase trust by making it opt-in via loyalty programs
Facial recognition has been widely adopted at airports, stadiums, traffic intersections and even some schools.
Now, experts say retail is the next industry to become a target of the technology, pointing to a growing number of suppliers and companies willing to put it in their stores.
U.S. retailers are expected to begin using facial recognition to stop shoplifters or spot criminals, but many are eyeing it for much broader uses – including customer tracking or loyalty programs, according to Biometric Update.
The move has already attracted scrutiny from privacy advocates who fear shoppers may be unaware that retailers are keeping track of their faces.
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