New Zealand’s privacy commission has found that the use of live facial recognition technology (FRT) trialled by Foodstuffs North Island complies with the Privacy Act.
“FRT systems have potential safety benefits, but they do raise significant privacy concerns, including the unnecessary or unfair collection of people’s information, misidentification, technical bias, which can reinforce existing inequities and human bias, or the ability to be used for surveillance,” said privacy commissioner Michael Webster.
“These issues become particularly critical when people need to access essential services such as supermarkets.
“FRT will only be acceptable if the use is necessary and the privacy risks are successfully managed,” he said.
Foodstuffs North Island’s trial of the technology reflected a high level of privacy intrusion, with every visitor’s face being collected. However, the commissioner found that the privacy safeguards put in place reduced the intrusion to an acceptable level.
Some of the privacy safeguards in place included Images not resulting in a positive match being immediately deleted, the system being set up to identify those who had engaged in prior harmful behaviour, and staff were not allowed to add images of those under 18 or those thought to be vulnerable to the watchlist.
The report shows the technology is effective at reducing harmful behaviour towards retailers, especially serious violent incidents, said Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith.
“This is great news for businesses that are considering using the technology as a means to protect their livelihoods,” he said.
Goldsmith welcomed the report, saying he would encourage the Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) to strongly consider the report.
“Retailers are crying out for proactive solutions that prevent crime and enhance the safety of their staff and customers,” said Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young, who is also a member of the MAG dedicated to finding solutions to retail crime.
“Our members continue to face high rates of violence and crime, putting both their employees and the public at risk, as well as threatening the financial sustainability of retail businesses,” said Young.
The organisation has formed a working group with many large retailers to find ways to address retail crime, with FRT being an approach being considered.
