Sainsbury's is expanding its use of facial recognition technology to 150 additional stores before Christmas, following a successful trial in 55 locations. The AI-powered Facewatch system alerts staff when individuals previously involved in violence, aggression, or theft enter the shop.
Effectiveness of the Technology
According to the Grocery Gazette, the trial showed that the technology stopped nine in ten repeat offenders from returning, and significantly reduced theft, harm, aggression, and antisocial behaviour in those stores. Facewatch claims a 99.98% accuracy rate and describes itself as 'the only crime prevention tool that proactively identifies known criminals, allowing staff to act before a crime has been committed'.
Human Oversight and Privacy
Sainsbury's states that every alert is reviewed by real people before action is taken, and images that do not match a known offender are deleted instantly. The system is not intended to monitor everyday staff and customers.
Controversy and Misidentification
However, the rollout follows an incident earlier this year where innocent shopper Warren Rajah was misidentified and escorted out of a Sainsbury's store in Elephant and Castle. Sainsbury's apologised, and Facewatch attributed the error to human mistake, not technology. Warren called the ordeal 'humiliating', telling the BBC: 'Am I supposed to walk around fearful that I might be misidentified as a criminal? Imagine how mentally debilitating this could be to someone vulnerable, after that kind of public humiliation.'
Wider Industry Adoption
Facewatch is also used by other retailers including B&M, Budgens, Morrisons Daily, Sports Direct, Flannels, and some pharmacies. Sainsbury's stated: 'Colleagues should never feel at risk while doing their jobs and customers should always feel comfortable in our stores. That’s why we are taking these steps and why we will continue to put safety first across every part of our business.'
