Face off

Say, do you remember old what’s-his-face? You know, that guy who might have shoplifted from your store a while back? If not, there’s a new technology being developed  that will help many retailers solve that problem.

Los Angeles-based FaceFirst is helping to crack down on crime with an intelligent software system that scans the faces of customers upon entering a store. The software then captures an image of each face and compares their features to those of known shoplifters. A Canadian equivalent, developed by Genetec in Montreal, is also in the works.

In theory, a system like this sounds like a good idea, as it might help the police to nab recurring five-finger discount seekers, but the facial recognition software is not without its detractors. Some top privacy experts are questioning its legality in Canada.

Read more here:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/facial-recognition-shopping-1.3561060