Sainsbury's has switched off live facial recognition at its East Dulwich superstore after Matt Arnold, a 46-year-old comedy promoter, was wrongly accused of shoplifting on 6 August and told to leave. Arnold, who was buying drinks for a comedy night at Dulwich Hamlet Football Club, called the episode 'a terrifying glimpse of the future.'
He had scanned a trolley of drinks and snacks, tapped his Nectar card, and was waiting for a colleague to approve the alcohol. Two managers arrived instead, told him he could not be served because of an incident earlier in the week, and moved to walk him out. He left on his own, looked back from the entrance, and saw his own face ringed in red on an overhead monitor.
