investigationOngoing
Office of the Privacy Commissioner (NZ) — Foodstuffs North Island Ltd
June 4, 2025 · New Zealand
The Privacy Commissioner's inquiry into Foodstuffs North Island's 2024 facial-recognition trial (25 supermarkets) concluded the trial complied with the Privacy Act because safeguards reduced the intrusion to an acceptable level, while recommending improvements before any permanent rollout.
Key takeaway — how to prevent this
Biometric data (faces, iris, fingerprints) needs an explicit lawful basis or consent. Scraping or capturing it without one is unlawful across the EU/UK and many US states (e.g. Illinois BIPA) — and draws the largest fines.
Inclusion does not imply wrongdoing or liability. Status reflects the latest information we have — always check the official source for current status.