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The Guardian - UK

Technology

Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent

Alarm over launch of facial recognition in UK shops that instantly alerts police

Police Facewatch United Kingdom Sainsbury BM

A video screen hanging from the ceiling in a supermarket aisle — Campaigners say the technology fails to address the social and economic root causes of shoplifting. Photograph: Becky Selina/Alamy

Facial recognition technology in shops will soon alert police in real time to the presence of serious offenders, with civil liberties groups warning of a “dangerous escalation” towards surveillance and criminalisation in the retail sector.

Facewatch, a facial recognition system used by more than 100 businesses including Sainsbury’s, B&M and Spar to monitor thieves, said it was launching a UK-first feature to “alert police instantly when the most serious offenders trigger a live facial recognition match”.

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