Wegmans Grocery in NYC is employing facial and biometric scanning

[thewayne]

Wegmans is a chain dating back a century, based in the NY/New England area. Currently the technology is in then NYC stores. It was deployed with no notice, and customers are given no ability to opt out, short of not shopping in the stores.

They claim that it was installed for 'customer and employee safety'. I think that Madison Entertainment made a similar claim regarding the technology used to keep attorneys out of the Rockettes shows at Madison Square Gardens if their firms are representing companies involved in litigation against them.

I'm glad that I came across this information as one of the states that they operate in is Connecticut, which is a very high probability that we'll be moving there next year. While the technology is apparently not in use outside of NYC, once it's in place in one store, it's pretty easy to install in other stores.

https://www.aol.com/articles/popular-grocery-store-chain-uses-130056099.html

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2026/01/the-wegmans-supermarket-chain-is-probably-using-facial-recognition.html

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/01/06/2231258/nyc-wegmans-is-storing-biometric-data-on-shoppers-eyes-voices-and-faces

Comments

[kathmandu]

I used to live in Connecticut! What part of the state are you looking at?

[thewayne]

Dunno at the moment, we haven't been scouting yet.  Russet has relatives in Maine and upstate NY and friends in Mass and CT.  I'm expecting not far from a major city for medical care and access to trains for transport to NYC and DC for major medical.  Of course, compared to our 500 mile jaunts Phoenix, that means the entire state.

[murakozi]

Dang. That's a shame. I like Wegmans. It's where I get most of my groceries.

[thewayne]

It is entirely possible that as this information gains more public traction that they'll pull the equipment and backpedal.

[disneydream06]

That is scary news. :o
Who sat down one day and said we need facial recognition for a grocery store?
Wouldn't surprise me in the least if The Dog Killer was behind this. :o
Hugs, Jon

[thewayne]

This is small beer compared to what's going on with license plate readers in this country.

[disneydream06]

BIG BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[silveradept]

I presume the "we want to nonconsensually scan your biometric data" plan is in relation to solving or preventing crimes, or alerting the store to people who have shoplifted from them, or some other nonsense that will turn out to be far more useful to feds chasing immigrants than it will be for any other stated purpose.

[thewayne]

I'd love to know how they would react to a person wearing bright white LEDs shopping there for an extended period of time flooding their cameras.  Pay using contactless payment, speak as little as possible, or use one of those tracheostomy devices to distort your voice.