NYC Wegmans storing shoppers’ facial scans and biometric data to ID customers, boost security
TL;DR
Wegmans is collecting and storing customers' biometric data, including facial scans, in NYC stores to enhance security. The practice, disclosed via new signs, aims to protect patrons and employees.
Source: New York Post
New signs unveiled at some Wegmans across New York City are warning customers that personally-identifying biometric data, such as facial recognition scans, is being stored while they shop. The signs, posted this month in the grocery stores’ Brooklyn and Manhattan locations and first reported by Gothamist, will be used to “protect the safety and security of our patrons and employees.” “Wegmans … collects, retains, converts, stores or shares customers’ biometric identifier information which may include facial recognition, eye scans, voiceprints,” the notices read. The Rochester, N.Y.-based supermarket chain has more than 110 stores on the east coast, around 54,000 employees, and $12.5 billion in annual sales. Full Story