Australian retailers Kmart, Bunnings, and The Good Guys used facial recognition technology to capture and store biometric data of customers without adequate notice, prompting investigations by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
Between 2022 and the investigation period, major Australian retailers Kmart, Bunnings Group Limited, and The Good Guys deployed facial recognition technology in their stores to capture and analyze customer biometric data including facial features to create 'faceprints'. The technology was used for security purposes, theft prevention, and identifying persons of interest who had previously been involved in incidents. Consumer advocacy group CHOICE investigated 25 leading Australian retailers and found these three were the only ones using facial recognition technology. Despite some physical signage at store entrances, most customers remained unaware of the practice. A CHOICE survey of over 1000 Australians found 76% didn't know retailers were using facial recognition technology. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner launched investigations into Kmart and Bunnings following CHOICE's complaint about potential breaches of the Privacy Act. The Good Guys subsequently paused their facial recognition trial pending OAIC clarification. Privacy experts raised concerns about the collection of sensitive biometric information without adequate consent and the potential for mass surveillance.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
AI systems that memorize and leak sensitive personal data or infer private information about individuals without their consent. Unexpected or unauthorized sharing of data and information can compromise user expectation of privacy, assist identity theft, or cause loss of confidential intellectual property.
Human
Due to a decision or action made by humans
Intentional
Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed