Grocery Chain Wegmans Defends Collection of Biometric Data in Some Stores

A sign is attached to the outside of a Wegmans supermarket in Westwood, Mass., on Dec. 20, 2022. Steven Senne/AP PhotoWegmans Food Markets said on Jan. 7 that it uses facial recognition technology in a limited number of higher-risk stores to deter misconduct, responding to growing scrutiny from the public and demands from New York lawmakers for greater transparency about biometric surveillance in grocery stores.The Rochester, New York-based grocery chain said in a statement that the facial recognition technology is deployed only in “a small fraction” of its locations that have higher security risks and is used only to identify individuals previously flagged for misconduct, not to track or profile ordinary shoppers.