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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Business
Catie McLeod Consumer affairs reporter

Alarm raised over ‘privacy dilemma’ of facial recognition technology at Coles and Woolworths

A person walks past a Woolworths store
Woolworths and Coles have tested facial recognition technology that they are considering installing in stores. Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Consumer privacy advocates have responded with alarm after Coles and Woolworths confirmed they were testing facial recognition technology that they could use in their Australian supermarkets to record shoppers’ personal biometric data.

The supermarket giants on Monday confirmed they had tested the technology and said they were considering installing it in their Australian stores to crack down on retail crime including aggression towards staff.

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