US EditionIs Wegmans Collecting Biometric Data On MD Shoppers? What To Know About Controversial Policy
Wegmans uses facial recognition to identify repeat offenders and reduce theft, with a 19% rise in retail theft cited by the National Retail Federation.
- On Monday, Wegmans confirmed it is scanning shoppers' faces in a small fraction of stores to combat theft, expanding a 2024 pilot with signage at Manhattan and Brooklyn locations.
- Loss‑prevention experts say a 19% shoplifting rise from 2023–2024 has led retailers to adopt facial recognition, with Wegmans noting it as a tool for identifying repeat offenders.
- A Wegmans spokesperson said the system scans faces and compares images to people previously flagged for misconduct, with the asset protection team making case-by-case decisions and retaining images only as long as necessary.
- On Wednesday, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz wrote `I find it very troubling that Wegman's and other retailers are using facial recognition and other biometric technology to collect data on their customers` and directed staff to prohibit such data collection.
- Privacy advocates warn that stored biometric data could be breached or misused, including by immigration authorities, while Maryland's Online Data Privacy Act took effect Oct. 1, 2025, exempting processing before April 1, 2026.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Grocery Chain Wegmans Defends Collection of Biometric Data in Some Stores
Wegmans Food Markets said on Jan. 7 that it uses facial recognition technology in a limited number of higher-risk stores to deter misconduct, responding to growing scrutiny from the public and demands from New York lawmakers for greater transparency about biometric surveillance in grocery stores. The Rochester, New York-based grocery chain said in a statement that the facial recognition technology is deployed only in “a small fraction” of its lo…
The Independent
The Independent (US)Shoppers express concern as major grocery store introduces biometric surveillance
Shoppers at Wegmans’ Manhattan location react after learning the grocery chain quietly installed surveillance software in certain stores
Wegmans Responds to Questions about In-Store Use of Facial Recognition Technology
ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) -- Grocery Giant, Wegmans, is addressing questions about its use of facial recognition technology in some stores. Wegmans says it uses facial recognition technology in a limited number of stores to help keep customers and employees safe.
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