Australia stops use of facial recognition in a retail setting

An Australian hardware chain breached several privacy principles when capturing faces of every individual on CCTV who entered its stores. By Annelies Moens of Privcore.

On 29 October 2024, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) released its long-awaited determination(1) into the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) in Bunnings’ stores. Bunnings is a major home and hardware retailer in Australia. The decision is relevant to all retailers with annual turnover greater than three million Australian dollars operating in Australia, as the Federal Privacy Act 1988 has extra-territorial application. The case highlights the importance of ensuring solutions or processes deployed to achieve a particular objective do not create a ­disproportionate level of privacy risk.

Continue Reading

International Report subscribers, please login to access the full article

LOGIN

If you wish to subscribe, please see our subscription information.

Subscribe