Kmart, Bunnings slammed for using facial recognition tech on customers

A Choice investigation has raised concerns shoppers across the country are having their “faceprints” captured with little or no warning.

Hundreds of thousands of Australians are having their “faceprints” captured by major retailers without their knowledge, an investigation has found.

The investigation by consumer group Choice into 25 big retailers has revealed Bunnings and Kmart are analysing images from video camera footage to create the profiles based on unsuspecting customers’ unique facial features.

Even children with parents were having their faceprints captured, Choice said.

Choice spokeswoman and ‘consumer data advocate’ Kate Bower described the practice as a “completely inappropriate and unnecessary use of the technology”.

Ms Bower said it was similar to “collecting your fingerprints or DNA every time you shop”.

Cameras at the entrance of Kmart, at Broadway Shopping Centre. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“Businesses using invasive technologies to capture their customers’ sensitive biometric information is unethical and is a sure way to erode consumer trust,” she said.

A survey by Choice found three quarters of people weren’t aware that retailers were capturing their characteristics in this way.

Cameras enable facial recognition analyses images from video cameras to capture each person’s unique facial features, known as a faceprint. Picture: Justin Lloyd

A similar proportion were concerned companies would use their data to create profiles for marketing purposes.

Choice said it would refer the retailers to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner over potential breaches of the Privacy Act.

The consumer group also called on the federal government to implement a modern regulatory framework that protects consumers from harmful and unfair practices.

A Kmart spokeswoman said: “We are trialling facial recognition in a small number of stores for the limited purposes of loss prevention, such as reducing refund fraud, and safety”.

Pictured is Greenacre Bunnings, which uses facial recognition technology. Picture: Richard Dobson

Bunnings’ chief operating officer Simon McDowell defended the practice.

“At selected stores, our CCTV systems utilise facial recognition technology, which is used to help prevent theft and support the safety of our team and customers,” Mr McDowell told The Daily Telegraph.

“In recent years, we’ve seen an increase in the number of challenging interactions our team have had to handle in our stores and this technology is an important tool in helping us to prevent repeat abuse of team and customers. We let customers know if the technology is in use through signage at our store entrances and also in our privacy policy, which is available on our website.

“We respectfully disagree with Choice. Our use is solely for the purpose of preventing threatening situations and theft, which is consistent with the Privacy Act.”

Choice also accused The Good Guys, but it denied using facial recognition technology.

Choice said it was clearly referred to in The Good Guys’ privacy policy.

The policy, seen by The Telegraph, says “our cameras may use facial and feature recognition technology to capture an image of an individual’s face, features and clothing and to track an individual through the store.

“Such images may be retained and used by us to identify an individual on future visits to our stores.”

Shoppers Cameron Ogilvie and Tate Van Heemst say the technology is “an invasion of privacy”. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Shoppers Cameron Ogilvie and Tate Van Heemst were unaware retailers such as Kmart used facial recognition technology when they visited the store yesterday.

“They don’t need that information,” Mr Ogilvie said.

“It’s an invasion of privacy.”

He was worried about how the data was being stored and the potential for it being hacked.

Originally published as Kmart, Bunnings slammed for using facial recognition tech on customers