Wegmans, a popular supermarket chain, now scans customers’ faces and stores data so its security system can recognize them.
The company, which has more than 100 stores in 10 states and the District of Columbia, says it’s all about security, but some in New York City worry it’s an invasion of privacy.
Facial recognition is about stopping misconduct, says Wegmans
Shoppers at the Wegmans at Broadway and 8th Street will be greeted not only by the produce department, but also by a new sign warning that the store is scanning customers’ faces and storing information. The company says it is using facial recognition tools in a small number of stores to identify people who have previously been caught misbehaving.
Facial recognition tools are taking center stage at the airport, but at some grocery stores, including Fairway and now Wegmans, the cameras are often out of sight. The city council is considering banning the practice since 2023. after the owner of Madison Square Garden began using it to block lawyers from events at the venues if their law firms are involved in dealings with MSG.
“If there’s a hack or breach of that data, you can’t change your face like you would change a password,” said Michelle Dahl, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a nonprofit organization that fights for consumer privacy. “It’s also a civil rights issue. We know that these systems disproportionately misidentify and burden communities that are already most frequently targeted by police.”
Response from Wegmans
The supermarket chain did not want to agree to an interview with CBS News New York, but said in a statement that it would never share the collected data with third parties.
“At Wegmans, the safety of our customers and associates is our top priority. Like many retailers, we use cameras to help identify individuals who pose a risk to our people, customers or operations. In a small portion of our high-risk stores, we have deployed cameras equipped with facial recognition technology. In New York City, we are complying with local requirements by posting mandatory signage to inform customers of the technology.
“This technology is used solely to keep our stores safe and secure. The system collects facial recognition data and uses it only to identify individuals previously flagged for misconduct. We do not collect other biometric data such as retina scans or voiceprints. Images and video are only retained for as long as necessary for security purposes and are then deleted. For security reasons, we do not disclose the exact retention period, but it is in line with industry standards.
“Individuals of interest are determined by our asset protection team based on incidents that occur on our premises and on a case-by-case basis, based on information from law enforcement agencies for criminal or missing persons cases. We do not share facial recognition scan data with third parties.
“We understand the concerns about fairness and bias in facial recognition systems. We use a variety of training and security measures to keep people safe. Facial recognition technology acts as a single research leader for us. We never base our decisions on a single clue alone.
“Our goal is simple: keep our stores safe.”
What shoppers think of Wegmans’ high-tech policy
Like it or not, the barcode on your milk isn’t the only thing that gets scanned at some Wegmans locations.
“It’s kind of an invasion of privacy. I could see that. It’s good and bad,” said shopper Victor Cash. “It can be a little annoying, but ultimately I don’t think it will ever stop me from coming here.”
“You never know for what purpose the information is collected,” said Ivan Klimkou. “I mean, I’m not a shoplifter, so it’s not a problem for me.”
“They probably do that in airports too, right? And for me, this is more important because it’s really a part of my everyday life,” Jeff Miller added.
