Rite-Aid drug stores used secret facial recognition technology to track alleged shoplifters. Except it apparently indexed hundreds of thousands of customers who were not shoplifters and falsely accused thousands of shoplifting. Those flagged by their failed system were searched and interrogated by store security, including innocent children.
The company failed to address the system’s large false positive rate and failed to train employees on how to properly use the system.
Rite-Aid reached an agreement with the FTC that prohibits the use of facial recognition in their stores for five years.
Update: Here is the FTC’s formal complaint: Complaint For Permanent Injunction and Other Relief (ftc.gov)
Reading that left me wondering whether Rite-Aid has competent management anywhere in their organization? Read the FTC complaint – they knew their system didn’t work, or should have known, and were falsely accusing thousands of customers of being threats and making them leave their stores. At one point, the system flagged a Black woman shopper as a threat – but the “match” was to a white, blonde woman who was their actual targeted threat. That’s how crappy their facial recognition system performed.
I am appalled at the lack of adult supervision among Rite Aid management. This should never have gotten to this point. It is good that Rite-Aid is now banned from using any facial recognition system for five years.
