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Kelly Foran & Rumeana Jahangir of BBC News in Manchester reported on an incident where a woman, Danielle Horan, was wrongly accused of shoplifting toilet paper after her profile was mistakenly added to a facial recognition watchlist designed to prevent theft. Horan was escorted from two Home Bargains stores in Greater Manchester in May and June without any explanation initially. Despite paying for the items, she was falsely accused of stealing around £10 worth of goods.
Facewatch, the retail security firm providing the technology, acknowledged the distressing experience and mentioned that additional staff training had been carried out. A review of the incident revealed that the items had indeed been paid for, but Home Bargains chose not to comment on the matter. Horan, who operates a makeup business, expressed her shock and embarrassment at being asked to leave the store without understanding the reason behind it.
Following unsuccessful attempts to resolve the issue by contacting Facewatch and Home Bargains, Horan recounted a second incident at a different store where she was surrounded and asked to leave at the entrance. After persistent contact with both parties, she finally learned about the accusation and subsequent circulation of her image to prevent entry into local stores. Only after checking her bank account and numerous emails did she receive confirmation that she had not stolen anything, describing the experience as incredibly stressful and anxiety-inducing.
In correspondence with Horan, Facewatch explained that the information relied on store submissions, leading to the suspension of the Home Bargains branches from the Facewatch system. Civil liberties group Big Brother Watch highlighted more than 35 similar cases of individuals wrongly placed on facial recognition watchlists, advocating for a complete ban on the technology in retail settings. Concerns were raised about the lack of due process and the presumption of guilt when algorithms and facial recognition systems are involved, prompting calls for strict compliance with data protection laws in the UK to avoid such situations in the future
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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