Major retailers and smaller independent stores have begun implementing advanced AI-driven surveillance systems to detect and deter crimes like shoplifting. These systems often include AI body scans, sophisticated CCTV networks, and facial recognition technology.
Despite the potential benefits for crime prevention, civil liberty organizations are raising alarms. They caution that the widespread use of such technology could result in members of the public being added to “secret watchlists” and subsequently “electronically blacklisted” from accessing high street shops and other premises.
Government statements indicate that commercial facial recognition technology is legal, but its deployment must strictly adhere to existing data protection laws. Furthermore, its application is required to be transparent to the public.
A recent report featured a BBC reporter, Jim Connolly, who personally evaluated this anti-shoplifting technology in a real-world setting at an independent Post Office.
