Asda received 5,000 complaints over in-store facial recognition trial
25/04/2025 | The Grocer
Following the announcement in March that British supermarket chain Asda had commenced a two-month trial of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology at five stores in Greater Manchester, the Grocer reveals that the retailer has received 5,425 emailed customer complaints.
While LFR technology can reduce crime and increase safety, the article also highlights a legal challenge by a 19-year-old who was incorrectly identified as a shoplifter by Facewatch's technology in a Home Bargains store in Manchester.
In a statement for digital rights group Big Brother Watch (BBW), Senior Advocacy Officer Madeleine Stone said: "Asda is adding customers to a secret watchlist with no due process, meaning people could be blacklisted from their local shop despite being innocent.
"Facial recognition has well-documented issues with accuracy and bias, and has already led to distressing and embarrassing cases of innocent shoppers being publicly branded as shoplifters."
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