A 62-year-old London woman has filed a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) after being placed on a Facewatch facial recognition watchlist at a Home Bargains store. The incident stemmed from a dispute over 39p worth of paracetamol, which she denies stealing. She discovered her inclusion on the database when asked to leave the store on a subsequent visit. Privacy campaigners, including Big Brother Watch, argue that such surveillance is disproportionate for minor alleged offenses, lacks due process, and infringes shoppers' rights, citing a previous ICO investigation that required Facewatch to focus on 'repeat offenders or individuals committing significant offences.'
Shopper put on Facewatch watchlist after dispute over 39p of paracetamol
Information commissionerConsumer affairsFacial recognitionData protectionLondonEnglandUKMoneyTechnology
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A 62-year-old London woman has filed a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) after being placed on a Facewatch facial recognition watchlist at a Home Bargains store. The incident stemmed from a dispute over 39p worth of paracetamol, which she denies stealing. She discovered her inclusion on the database when asked to leave the store on a subsequent visit. Privacy campaigners, including Big Brother Watch, argue that such surveillance is disproportionate for minor alleged offenses, lacks due process, and infringes shoppers' rights, citing a previous ICO investigation that required Facewatch to focus on 'repeat offenders or individuals committing significant offences.'
Trending- 1 2023: ICO investigated Facewatch and required a series of changes, including focusing on 'repeat offenders or individuals committing significant offences'.
- 2 2025-04-25: The woman's first visit to Home Bargains, where the alleged theft and bag search occurred.
- 3 2025-05-30: The woman returned to the shop and was asked to leave, discovering she was on the Facewatch watchlist.
- 4 2025-06-06: Article published, detailing the complaint to the ICO.
- Psychological distress for the affected individual
- Legal complaint against the retailer and facial recognition provider
- Renewed public debate on the ethics and legality of facial recognition technology in retail
- Potential for regulatory action or policy changes regarding biometric data use
What: A London woman was added to a facial recognition watchlist by a retail store following a minor alleged theft, prompting a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
When: The alleged theft occurred on April 25, 2025. The woman discovered she was on the watchlist on May 30, 2025. The complaint was made recently, and the article was published on June 6, 2025.
Where: Home Bargains store in Grove Farm retail park, Chadwell Heath, London, England.
Why: Home Bargains allegedly added the woman to the watchlist based on a disputed accusation of stealing a low-value item. The woman and privacy advocates argue this action is disproportionate, lacks due process, and violates data protection laws, specifically the 'substantial public interest' requirement for processing biometric data.
How: Facewatch, a facial recognition system, uses CCTV footage to compare faces to a private database of known offenders. When a match is made, staff are alerted, leading to actions like asking the person to leave the store.