'Orwellian': Sainsbury's staff using facial recognition tech eject innocent shopper
Sainsbury's said: 'This was not an issue with the facial recognition technology in use but a case of the wrong person being approached in store.' Sainsbury's said: 'This was not an issue with the facial recognition technology in use but a case of the wrong person being approached in store.' Man misidentified by London supermarket using Facewatch system says: 'I shouldn't have to prove I am not a criminal' A man was ordered to leave a supermarket in London after staff misidentified him using controversial new facial recognition technology. Warren Rajah was told to abandon his shopping and leave the local store he has been using for a number of years after an "Orwellian" error in a Sainsbury's in Elephant and Castle, London. He said supermarket staff were unable to explain why he was being told to leave, and would only direct him to a QR code leading to the website of the firm Facewatch, which the retailer has hired to run facial recognition in some of its stores. He said when he contacted Facewatch, he was told to send in a picture of himself and a photograph of his passport before the firm confirmed it had no record of him on its database. "One of the reasons I was angry was because I shouldn't have to prove I am innocent," Rajah said.
Feb-5-2026, 16:47:44 GMT
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