Revelations today that Bunnings, Kmart, and The Good Guys are using facial recognition technology to monitor the public poses a threat to privacy and human rights and requires an immediate moratorium.

“The Government should implement the recommendations from the Human Rights Commission report Human Rights and Technology which calls for a moratorium on facial recognition technology until safeguards are put in place,” said Peter Lewis,  Director of the Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology.

“Reports today from Choice show facial recognition technology is being deployed without necessary safeguards and redlines to protect the public.

“It’s not good enough for a business to say that it is implementing this technology to crack down on theft without the public knowing the way the data is being collected, how it’s being stored, what it’s being used for, and whether it’s being sold on to other parties.

“We need comprehensive privacy law reform and a pause on implementation of this potentially harmful and invasive technology.

“The recommendations of the AHRC for a moratorium should be implemented.”

The Australian Human Rights Commission’s Human Rights and Technology Final Report (2021) is available here.