AustraliaRetail and e-commerce2020–20217-Eleven Australia
Facial recognition for customer-survey screening
7-Eleven stopped collecting survey faceprints across 700 stores after an Australian privacy investigation
Problem
7-Eleven wanted to screen customer feedback for potentially invalid responses and understand respondents' demographics.
Approach
Survey tablets photographed customers and generated facial templates for comparison with other responses. The system operated from June 2020 to August 2021. Australia's privacy commissioner found the collection unnecessary and lacking valid consent. The retailer stopped collecting images and faceprints, and the commissioner ordered destruction of the retained faceprints.
Results
Takeaway
Survey validation introduced sensitive biometric collection. The commissioner found its privacy impact disproportionate to the business benefit.
Categories
- Size
- Large enterprise
- Industry
- Retail and e-commerce
- Business function
- Marketing and sales
- Innovation type
- Process innovation
- AI technology
- Computer vision
- Adoption
- Vendor solution
- Goal
- Quality and risk
- Evidence
- Regulator, audit or court
Sources
Source summaries
The OAIC described biometric survey screening across 700 stores and found breaches involving consent and notification. It confirmed that collection had ceased and ordered deletion of the faceprints.
Full details are in the original sources.
