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Guilty until proven innocent: shoppers falsely identified by facial recognition system struggle to clear their names
UK NewsBusinessTechnology•May 3, 2026 at 5:00 PMNational

Guilty until proven innocent: shoppers falsely identified by facial recognition system struggle to clear their names

By Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent•The Guardian - UK News

People shamed and ordered to leave shops after being misidentified then ‘given no help’ to investigate verdictsAI facial recognition oversight lagging far behind technology, watchdogs warnHow does live facial recognition work and how many police forces use it? When Ian Clayton, a retired health and safety professional from Chester, popped into Home Bargains one February lunchtime, he was suddenly approached by a stern-looking member of staff.“Excuse me, can you please put everything down and leave the shop now?” she said. Clayton recalled how he was stunned, and it was only as he was briskly walked past the tills towards the exit that he stopped to ask what he had done. Continue reading...

People shamed and ordered to leave shops after being misidentified then ‘given no help’ to investigate verdicts

When Ian Clayton, a retired health and safety professional from Chester, popped into Home Bargains one February lunchtime, he was suddenly approached by a stern-looking member of staff.

“Excuse me, can you please put everything down and leave the shop now?” she said. Clayton recalled how he was stunned, and it was only as he was briskly walked past the tills towards the exit that he stopped to ask what he had done.

Continue reading...