Feed: Slashdot
Feed Link: https://slashdot.org/
---

Title: Facial Recognition Error Sees Woman Wrongly Accused of Theft

Link: https://slashdot.org/story/25/06/15/1817236/f...

A chain of stores called Home Bargains installed facial recognition software
to spot returning shoplifters. Unfortunately, "Facewatch" made a mistake. "We
acknowledge and understand how distressing this experience must have been,"
an anonymous Facewatch spokesperson tells the BBC, adding that the store
using their technology "has since undertaken additional staff training." A
woman was accused by a store manager of stealing about �10 (about $13) worth
of items ("Everyone was looking at me". And then it happened again at
another store when she was shopping with her 81-year-old mother on June 4th:
"As soon as I stepped my foot over the threshold of the door, they were
radioing each other and they all surrounded me and were like 'you need to
leave the store'," she said. "My heart sunk and I was anxious and bothered
for my mum as well because she was stressed...." It was only after repeated
emails to both Facewatch and Home Bargains that she eventually found there
had been an allegation of theft of about �10 worth of toilet rolls on 8 May.
Her picture had somehow been circulated to local stores alerting them that
they should not allow her entry. Ms. Horan said she checked her bank account
to confirm she had indeed paid for the items before Facewatch eventually
responded to say a review of the incident showed she had not stolen anything.
"Because I was persistent I finally got somewhere but it wasn't easy, it was
really stressful," she said. "My anxiety was really bad - it really played
with my mind, questioning what I've done for days. I felt anxious and sick.
My stomach was turning for a week." In one email from Facewatch seen by the
BBC, the firm told Ms Horan it "relies on information submitted by stores"
and the Home Bargains branches involved had since been "suspended from using
the Facewatch system". Madeleine Stone, senior advocacy officer at the civil
liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch, said they had been contacted by
more than 35 people who have complained of being wrongly placed on facial
recognition watchlists. "They're being wrongly flagged as criminals," Ms
Stone said. "They've given no due process, kicked out of stores," adds the
senior advocacy officer. "This is having a really serious impact." The group
is now calling for the technology to be banned. "Historically in Britain, we
have a history that you are innocent until proven guilty but when an
algorithm, a camera and a facial recognition system gets involved, you are
guilty. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said: "While
commercial facial recognition technology is legal in the UK, its use must
comply with strict data protection laws. Organisations must process biometric
data fairly, lawfully and transparently, ensuring usage is necessary and
proportionate. "No one should find themselves in this situation." Thanks to
alanw (Slashdot reader #1,822) for sharing the article.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

---
VRSS v2.1.180528