00:00Bunnings shoppers are set to notice a major change in stores after the hardware giant
00:04was cleared to use facial recognition technology to combat theft and abuse.
00:09An administrative review tribunal this week reversed a 2024 ruling by the Australian Privacy
00:15Commissioner that had found Bunnings breached the privacy of store visitors by scanning
00:19and checking their faces.
00:22The retailer deployed facial scanning technology across dozens of stores between 2019 to 2021
00:29to identify repeat offenders and people banned from entering Bunnings locations.
00:35Images that did not match banned individuals were deleted, with the system designed to target
00:40organised retail crime rather than everyday customers.
00:45Bunnings argued the technology was necessary to protect staff and shoppers, with managers
00:49reporting regular incidents of threats, intimidation and abuse inside stores.
00:56Planning said safety remained its top priority and accepted it needed to better inform customers
01:01about the technology, but maintained facial recognition would play a growing role in keeping stores safe.
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