Jul 13, 2022

Australia probes retail giants Bunnings and Kmart over customer 'faceprints'

Australia's privacy watchdog has launched an investigation into two retail giants over their use of facial recognition technology. Consumer advocacy group Choice says the technology is unethical, invasive and being used without proper consent or reasoning. "While deterring theft and creating a safe environment are important goals, using high privacy impact technologies in stores carries significant privacy risks," Commissioner Falk said last month, after the use of the technology was first revealed. The watchdog said it was also "Conducting inquiries" about another retail company, The Good Guys, which has paused its use of facial recognition technology. Choice said Bunnings and Kmart were only disclosing their use of the technology in small "Conditions of entry" notices at the front of stores, and in privacy policies online.

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