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.

Hardware firm Bunnings and department store Kmart collect customers’ “faceprints” in some locations.

Customer advocacy group Selection says the technology is unethical, invasive and being used without proper consent or thinking.

Both retailers looked after its use as an anti-theft and protection measure.

The Aussie Information Commissioner mentioned her office got opened an investigation to determine whether they had breached privacy laws.

Aussie retailers can only gather sensitive biometric info if “reasonably necessary” for their operations and they have “clear consent”, Angelene Falk said.

“While deterring theft plus creating a safe environment are important goals, making use of high privacy effect technologies in stores bears significant privacy risks, ” Commissioner Falk said last month, after the use of the technologies was first revealed.

“Retailers need to be able to demonstrate that it is a proportionate response. ”

Last year, she discovered convenience store chain 7-Eleven had interfered with customers’ personal privacy by collecting faceprints in a similar case.

The watchdog mentioned it was also “conducting inquiries” about another retail company, The Good Guys, which has paused its use of face recognition technology.

The Australian Human Rights Commission has called for a ban around the technology until Sydney has specific laws to regulate its use. It followed police in Western Australia using it for Covid isolation checks.

Choice said Bunnings and Kmart were only disclosing their particular use of the technology within small “conditions of entry” notices in front of stores, and in privacy policies on the internet.

The consumer team surveyed more than one, 000 households plus found more than 75% had no idea the particular technology was in use.

“Using facial identification technology in this way is similar to Kmart, Bunnings or The Good Guys collecting your fingerprints or DNA every time you shop, ” stated Choice’s Kate Bower.

Bunnings said the use of the technology had been inaccurately characterised plus there were strict handles around its use.

The data collected is not really used for marketing purposes, it says, as well as the only images maintained are of people banned from stores or even those suspected of illegal or intimidating conduct.

“In modern times, we’ve seen an increase in the number of challenging interactions our team have experienced to handle in our stores and this technology is an important tool in helping all of us to prevent repeat abuse and threatening behavior towards our team plus customers, ” said chief operating officer Simon McDowell.

A spokesperson for Kmart also said the particular technology was on “trial” to prevent theft and was susceptible to strict controls.