London woman added to facial recognition watchlist after 39p dispute at Home Bargains store leading to ICO complaint

Summary

A London woman was placed on a facial recognition watchlist at a Home Bargains store after a dispute over 39p worth of paracetamol. The incident occurred at a store in Grove Farm retail park in Chadwell Heath. She discovered she was on the list when staff asked her to leave and pointed her to a Facewatch sign on 30 May. Facewatch is a facial recognition system used by retailers to identify and deter shoplifters by comparing faces against a database of known offenders. The woman, who claims she did not steal the paracetamol, has filed a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office, arguing that the use of her biometric data was not in the substantial public interest. The incident has left her anxious about shopping alone and has raised concerns about the lack of due process in how individuals are added to biometric watchlists.