Alarm raised over ‘privacy dilemma’ of facial recognition technology at Coles and Woolworths

Supermarkets say they are exploring ways to keep people safe, but experts claim the tech is ‘normalising surveillance’

• Get our https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email, https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app or https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast

Consumer privacy advocates have responded with alarm after Coles and Woolworths confirmed they were testing https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2026/aug/17/shoplifting-wave-putting-facial-recognition-technology-everywhere-will-fix-it">facial recognition technology that they could use in their Australian supermarkets to record shoppers’ personal biometric data.

The supermarket giants on Monday confirmed they had tested the technology and said they were considering installing it in their Australian stores to crack down on retail crime including aggression towards staff.