BBW files ICO complaint against Asda's facial recognition trial
21/05/2025 | Big Brother Watch
Digital rights advocacy group Big Brother Watch (BBW) has filed a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) against British supermarket chain, Asda, claiming that its deployment of live facial recognition (LFR) technology in five stores in Greater Manchester is unlawful. The complaint argues that Asda is infringing the information rights of its customers for private benefit and calls on the ICO to stop the retailer's use of the technology, provided by surveillance firm FaiceTech.
Under the FaiceTech system, Asda staff can add individuals to a facial recognition watchlist, designating them as a "person of interest." Shoppers are not informed if their facial biometric data is stored or added to the watchlist. Asda's privacy policy states that staff neither receive nor provide photos to the police; instead, the supermarket uses biometric profiles of certain shoppers to generate alerts if they enter a store and shares these profiles, along with allegations of unwanted conduct, between stores. BBW's complaint warns that if Asda's facial recognition technology were implemented across all its UK stores, it would have a "profound impact on the data rights of tens of millions of people."
BBW also sent a van with a large digital advert to the five stores, displaying warnings to shoppers that Asda is "rolling back your privacy."
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