Matua Kahurangi: The Privacy Commissioner just opened the door to mass surveillance

Facial recognition coming to a store near you!

The Privacy Commissioner has just given facial recognition technology a "cautious tick" after Foodstuffs trialled it in some of its supermarkets. In my humble opinion this is a massive failure to protect the privacy of ordinary New Zealanders.

This isn't about stopping shoplifters. It's not about keeping staff safe. It's about watching and tracking people without their permission.

Nicholas Dynon: Facial recognition technology.....

In your face: our acceptance of facial recognition technology depends on who is doing it – and where

Facial recognition technology is becoming more widely used, but this has not been matched by wider acceptance from the public.

Controversies continue to hit the media, with both public and private sector organisations frequently outed for flawed deployments of the technology.

Mark Rickerby: Supermarket facial recognition failure

Supermarket facial recognition failure: why automated systems must put the human factor first

The incident of a woman misidentified by facial recognition technology at a Rotorua supermarket should have come as no surprise.

When Foodstuffs North Island announced its intention to trial this technology in February, as part of a strategy to combat retail crime, technology and privacy experts immediately raised concerns.