Facial recognition arrives during LOCKDOWN in England in CO-OP Stores

You did read that right!

I went to my local Co-Op this morning and whilst paying for my shopping, I noticed myself staring back at me on the screen. Straight away I was like 'woah' and just wanted to get out of sight! I read about this last year whilst in lockdown but didn't make a thread about it until now because the Chinese model has crept in whilst everyone was in Lockdown and its not only CO_OP stores that will have this tech, it will be everywhere as it started off with this being a trial but several months along and its still in stores looking like the trial is over and its here to stay. It said in that article I read several months ago that this system was introduced to catch thieves... what about the Millions of people who aren't food thieving?

Thats more of our privacy gone down the drain... not only do the people behind it have our Identities, they now know what we buy to consume!

No longer do we have any privacy whatsoever.

whats the next stage? Mandatory CCTV in our homes connected to BIG BROTHER?

a reply to: CrazeeWorld777

It's ALWAYS been connected to them since day 1. We know that...

a reply to: CrazeeWorld777

I'm still convinced its to deter theft as in we know "they" are watching and deters pilfering at the self service checkouts.

I'll ask about.

a reply to: Cymru



LOL
Sorry to hear that.

Do you have a link please?
All I could find was this article which says court back in August ruled facial recognition illegal in Wales at least.
Facial recognition illegal in Wales

Rainbows
Jane

originally posted by: CrazeeWorld777
...it will be everywhere...

I can attest to this, I'm now working for a company that has a huge Fintech/IMS presence and in the near future almost all of your daily transactions will be handled via facial recognition.

ASDA is the same,I noticed it last week when at the self checkout.
First time I'd shopped there for ages,won't be in a hurry to go back that's for sure.

Um. Personally, I'm not happy with facial recognition in principle, but there are exceptions which may have legitimate application. In this case the Co Op have been doing a trial as a way to alert staff that a person has entered the store who has a history of theft etc. So long as this type of thing is standalone and for the stated purpose, then it may be acceptable. Considering that a small number of people are repeatedly caught stealing from shops you can see what the Co Op is trying to do.

Facial recognition is already used at airports to support passport control. It speeds things up, so that’s gotta be good.

The UK is not China where every transaction and movement is monitored.

Well CO-OP does sound like cooperation......what else you expect.

When facial rec is looking mainstream i start perfecting disguises......i don't care what tech they introduce i will defeat it and remain 1 step ahead... it's just the principal of it.

originally posted by: paraphi
Um. Personally, I'm not happy with facial recognition in principle, but there are exceptions which may have legitimate application. In this case the Co Op have been doing a trial as a way to alert staff that a person has entered the store who has a history of theft etc. So long as this type of thing is standalone and for the stated purpose, then it may be acceptable. Considering that a small number of people are repeatedly caught stealing from shops you can see what the Co Op is trying to do.

Facial recognition is already used at airports to support passport control. It speeds things up, so that’s gotta be good.

The UK is not China where every transaction and movement is monitored.

*reads last line*


Bahahahaha!!!!!

originally posted by: paraphi


The UK is not China where every transaction and movement is monitored.

Soon will be...

And Its not really there to support passport control... you do know that don't you?? Maybe not.

originally posted by: glen200376
ASDA is the same,I noticed it last week when at the self checkout.
First time I'd shopped there for ages,won't be in a hurry to go back that's for sure.

Yeah, I just saw myself pop up on the screen and was a bit taken aback really as i didn't notice the last 3 times I shopped in there...

originally posted by: angelchemuel
Do you have a link please?
All I could find was this article which says court back in August ruled facial recognition illegal in Wales at least.
Facial recognition illegal in Wales

Rainbows
Jane

Link to what? What I witnessed in CO_OP??

Go to your local CO_OP and find out for yourself.... if you dare!

It seems to definitely be coming. I think the ground work is being done in a lot of places. There is a town not too far from me where there is a surveillance room in the police station there with probably about 30+ screens that have a live feed of municipal buildings inside and out and various streets and other locations. It was both awesome and terrifying to see. I don't like that level of intrusion.

originally posted by: angelchemuel
Do you have a link please?
All I could find was this article which says court back in August ruled facial recognition illegal in Wales at least.
Facial recognition illegal in Wales

Rainbows
Jane

Anyways, i found some links:

www.bbc.co.uk...

www.msn.com...

www.wired.co.uk...

bigbrotherwatch.org.uk...

Co-op supermarkets concentrate live facial recognition in 18 Portsmouth stores Thousands of customers vow to boycott the chain Privacy campaigners warn of “major legal concerns” Eighteen Co-op supermarkets across Portsmouth are using live facial recognition to monitor customers. The Southern Co-operative provoked outrage from rights campaigners in December when it admitted to using the technology in a number of stores. Civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch has since discovered that the company’s use of face surveillance is exclusively targeted in 18 stores across Portsmouth. Unmarked facial recognition cameras take biometric scans of customers as they enter the store. Customers’ faces are automatically scanned against a watchlist, compiled by the Southern Co-op and private surveillance firm Facewatch, looking for similarities to CCTV images held by the company.

Big Brother Watch says the Southern Co-op’s use of automated facial recognition raises “major legal concerns” about customers’ rights, and could result in a legal challenge. The company’s privacy policy does not acknowledge its use of the technology and claims that it does not collect any biometric data,1 despite its public acknowledgement that it conducts biometric surveillance. Thousands of customers sent emails to the Southern Co-op in December and took to social media with the hashtag #StopCoopSpying, in protest against the retailer’s use of face surveillance, with many vowing to boycott the company.2 However, the company has not backed down from using the surveillance

Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch said: “The Co-op’s use of Orwellian facial recognition surveillance abuses customers’ rights and trashes the company’s ‘ethical’ branding. The supermarket is adding customers to secret watchlists with no due process, many of whom will find themselves blacklisted despite being innocent or having spent convictions. This is an atrocious way for any business to behave. “The best way to protect staff and prevent theft is to report crimes to the police, rather than expect staff to act like police using invasive biometric surveillance. “The Southern Co-op’s use of live face surveillance raises major legal concerns and, if maintained, is likely to result in a legal challenge. If the company is serious about respecting customers’ rights and concern for the community, it should drop its facial recognition cameras immediately.”

originally posted by: angelchemuel
Do you have a link please?
All I could find was this article which says court back in August ruled facial recognition illegal in Wales at least.
Facial recognition illegal in Wales

Rainbows
Jane

That is only for blanket police use without a warrant/special permission/emergency.
I am sure there will be a loophole whereby the police can aqquire facial rec. images from private companies-as usual these days our freedom to exist without 24/7 surveillance is but an illusion.

On the co op issue-the co op is run locally by its shareholders as it is a "cooperative."
That means that if enough of the customers express disgust or tell the shop they will go elsewhere-there is a much higher chance they will get rid of facial recognition than any of the mega corporations who are slowly but surley taking over all UK businesses.Petitions need to be made and signed.

Another interesting issue in the UK is the amount of banks who use Lenovo computers-these are linked to the chinese government and military,and they are hoovering up the details of everyones finances for their dark masters for reasons unknown(but unlikley benevolent).

Its getting to the stage now where the UK is merrily spiraling into a xinjiang like system of total surveillance,and so few people know or care that there is little to no hope for a future resembling anything our country puports to stand for.

a reply to: CrazeeWorld777

I have absolutely no problem with facial recognition in public areas. I DO however have a big problem with facial recognition in shops and their CCTV. The CCTV recordings are as far as private businesses should go. It will be in bloody hotel rooms next!!!

Rainbows
Jane

a reply to: CrazeeWorld777I've often wondered if the mask wearing in public is being used to perfect their facial and other types of recognition.Probably checks other things like your gait,body dimensions etc all cross referenced to make an identification.
I fail to see how having a camera on your face at checkout is preventing theft.It's for spying pure and simple.
This has been on going for years.In 2013 I was going from pub to pub with an old school friend.
We on entering Aberdeen city centre(which is full of council run cameras)were refused access to the first pub we got to.
Well my friend was,they knew his name straight away and said he wasn't allowed in due to some pub watch city centre scheme.The reason he was banned,he had been a serial shoplifter a few years earlier,making a living from shoplifting.
He got caught a few times,did jail for it etc.
How the hell that means you should be banned from pubs and bars eludes me.
If that was 8 years ago,their system will be scary good at it's job now.Terrifying.

a reply to: angelchemuel

Probably already is in hotels... just can't see it.

a reply to: glen200376

Don't know about "Terrifying" but it is pretty creepy when you see yourself looking back at you and all you wanted to do was buy some food!

I'd maybe use the word "Scary".