Overview

• Sainsbury’s is piloting Facewatch in its Sydenham superstore and Oldfield Park, Bath, to flag people reported for violence, aggression or theft.
• The system alerts staff using watchlists built from incidents submitted by the store or nearby retailers and deletes images instantly when no match is found, the company says.
• The trial is scheduled for eight weeks and could be expanded across more than 1,400 outlets if Sainsbury’s deems it successful.
• Privacy group Big Brother Watch called the technology “deeply disproportionate,” noting earlier Asda trials drew thousands of complaints, as equality regulators have also warned of risks with facial recognition.
• Sainsbury’s cites record shoplifting in England and Wales and rising abuse of staff, with shopworkers’ union Usdaw backing measures to protect colleagues and a government crime minister voicing support for action.