News: 0180530151

  ARM Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life (Terry Pratchett, Jingo)

NYC Wegmans Is Storing Biometric Data On Shoppers' Eyes, Voices and Faces (gothamist.com)

(Tuesday January 06, 2026 @10:30PM (BeauHD) from the PSA dept.)


[1]schwit1 shares a report from Gothamist:

> Wegmans in New York City has [2]begun collecting biometric data from anyone who enters its supermarkets , according to new signage posted at the chain's Manhattan and Brooklyn locations earlier this month. Anyone entering the store could have data on their face, eyes and voices collected and stored by the Rochester-headquartered supermarket chain. The information is used to "protect the safety and security of our patrons and employees," according to the signage. The new scanning policy is an expansion of a 2024 pilot.

>

> The chain had initially said that the scanning system was only for a small group of employees and [3]promised to delete any biometric data it collected from shoppers during the pilot rollout. The new notice makes no such assurances. Wegmans representatives did not reply to questions about how the data would be stored, why it changed its policy or if it would share the data with law enforcement.



[1] https://slashdot.org/~schwit1

[2] https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-wegmans-is-storing-biometric-data-on-shoppers-eyes-voices-and-faces

[3] https://x.com/_elkue/status/1846653125287203172/photo/1



Boycot (Score:2)

by liqu1d ( 4349325 )

An example should be made before the pestilence spreads.

Go ahead (Score:3)

by rsilvergun ( 571051 )

If this is at all worth doing then the two maybe three other grocery chains in the area will be doing it too. That's because they are all owned by the same people, specifically the same handful of shareholders and the CEOs all golf at the same clubs. It's a big club and you ain't in it.

We gave up the effectiveness of boycotts back when we stopped and forcing antitrust law to elect George Bush Jr.

Once in awhile you can get something like the Bud light catastrophe when you have a specific brand but hi

They said they would delete it... (Score:2)

by ebunga ( 95613 )

but they gained some valuable marketing insights in their pants.

WP (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward

Sorry, but you won't be able to store data on my eyes or face because I've write-protected them, but feel free to write my biometric data onto my voice.

Benjamin Franklin would approve? (Score:2)

by Krishnoid ( 984597 )

> The information is used to "protect the safety and security of our patrons and employees," according to the signage.

> "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." -- Benjamin Franklin

Apparently he [1]meant sort of the same thing [npr.org] as Wegman's here.

[1] https://www.npr.org/2015/03/02/390245038/ben-franklins-famous-liberty-safety-quote-lost-its-context-in-21st-century

Oh yeah? (Score:2)

by RitchCraft ( 6454710 )

Fuck that.

Re: (Score:2)

by RitchCraft ( 6454710 )

I just went to their web site and sent them a strongly worded message about this privacy raping crap they want to do. If enough people do this maybe they will get the message. If not, fuck them.

Don't spit on their signs (Score:3)

by thesjaakspoiler ( 4782965 )

They might store your DNA as well.

Boycott the store (Score:1)

by Design Counts ( 9473391 )

That are doing this in the UK too

millihelen, n.:
The amount of beauty required to launch one ship.