Tesco To Use Face Detection Technology For In-Store Advertising

TinTops writes "Tesco has sparked privacy concerns following its decision to install technology that scans shoppers' faces in order to display video advertising on screens at its petrol stations. The UK's privacy watchdog the ICO is looking into the technology. This is the first national rollout of the system, known as OptimEyes, which claims to recognize facial characteristics that determine a customer's gender and age in order to show more relevant video adverts on screens as they queue at the till. Simon Sugar, chief executive of Amscreen, the firm which sells the technology, has admitted it has connotations of science fiction, but is looking to increase its reach further. 'Yes, it's like something out of Minority Report, but this could change the face of British retail and our plans are to expand the screens into as many supermarkets as possible,' he said."

Comments

Frost

[Hognoxious]

With a face like mine, I don't expect to see adverts for condoms.

Re:Frost

[Joce640k]

So... if I want to know what sort of stuff Jeremy Clarkson buys I can just print his face on some paper and wear it at a gas station.

Yep, that sounds like they've sorted out all the privacy issues.

Re:Frost

[bmo]

That's because the store had bondage gear and the pants you were buying were leather.

--
BMO

Re:Frost

[torsmo]

You don't need to wear a face-mask of Clarkson at petrol pumps to know what stuff he buys. It's denim, Brunel, fruit preserves, lanolin, Phil Collins undies, wind turbines, more Brunel, prostitutes, Piers Morgan line of fragrances, judicial restraint letters, the works of Dylan Thomas, Cardiff City football shirts, even more fucking Brunel, rocket-powered testicles, degrees in engineering from the Brunel College of Top Engineering, global warming studies, dicks the size of telephone poles with propellers, and a 10-year supply of Brunel.

I foresee a wave of creative "vandalism"

[Anonymous Coward]

Products that move to conveniently block the camera, smudged lenses, etc.

Re:I foresee a wave of creative "vandalism"

[erikkemperman]

I foresee a wave of creative "vandalism". Products that move to conveniently block the camera, smudged lenses, etc.

And understandably so if you ask me. Similar stories have been popping up lately. Does none of these companies get that this probably isn't the best of times to introduce these privacy sensitive "improvements"?

Re:I foresee a wave of creative "vandalism"

[i kan reed]

That's the opinion of a customer, which is a kind of peasant that shows up in your stores from time to time, distinct from the other kind of peasant, the "employee". Neither one has any rights compared to the owner, and you should know better.

Re:I foresee a wave of creative "vandalism"

[Anonymous Brave Guy]

Cute, but missing the point that Tesco actually do make their money from their customers, and the UK supermarket industry is highly competitive. They could easily lose far more if even a small fraction of their customer base is upset enough to shop elsewhere next time than everything they'll make from creepyads. We all shop for groceries and many people have multiple supermarket chains within easy reach these days as well as various on-line options, so it's not exactly a great burden for those people to avoid Tesco if they feel like it.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

[LifesABeach]

Someone showing up looking like Queen Mother? At a Hot Topic? Let me go mircowave some pop corn first.

Here in the states, it would be used for bans...

[Anonymous Coward]

A few months ago, an acquaintance of mine mentioned something online about something stupid he did at the premises of a large store chain in the 90s. A few days ago, he got served with a notice of trespass and a legal note that if he set foot on $STORE's property in any state, that he would be arrested on site. There is no statute of limitations on bans with private property.

Here in the US, said facial technology would be probably used for arresting people the second they entered in the store, making notes about what people bought, and if they didn't buy enough, to have LP give them the bum's rush out. Or, just selling who comes in the store, so if someone buys cigs, that info gets sold to their health insurance company.

Re:Ski-mask, now also for shopping!

[davebarnes]

Get out your Richard Nixon mask. It is the one most preferred by bank robbers.

A new use for an old mask

[TheloniousToady]

I wonder what ads I'll see when I wear my Richard Nixon Halloween mask? (Does any even sell reel-to-reel tape anymore?)

sensationalism

[jklovanc]

that the CCTV camera in the corner is trying to find out who they are

That is a sensationalistic quote. There is a huge gap between being identified as "Joe Klovance" and "middle aged white male". All they are trying to do is classify the face not identify it. This is not facial recognition attached to a database of faces. This is no different than a clerk waling up to people in different demographics and pointing out different sales that may interest them. That it is done by computer rather than a person is irrelevant.

Re:sensationalism

[gstoddart]

This is not facial recognition attached to a database of faces.

Not yet.

And in an age of big data and massive government surveillance, I have little faith it won't be before long.

You either need to pass laws concerning it now, or in 5 years (or less) what you say isn't happening will be common place and it will be too late.

Re:sensationalism

[0123456]

This is a "slippery slope argument" and therefore invalid.

Oh look, it's the 'slippery slope is a logical fallacy so it could never ever possibly even thinkg of actually happening' brigade, right on cue.

Hint, dude: the time to stop sliding down a slippery slope is before you first slip, not when you're racing toward the bottom.

Re:sensationalism

[idontgno]

It is never too late to turn something off.

And yet, even if turning it off is waaaay overdue, does it ever happen? Let's ask the PATRIOT Act.

Re:sensationalism

[idontgno]

How many times to you see a clerk walk up to a 16 year old girl and point out neckties or walk up to a 80 year old man and point out capri pants?

Since you're asking for anecdotes, I'll answer with one. "Never." As in "never, does a clerk walk up and presume they know what I need." Instead, in my country*, they walk up and ask if I need help. And they accept when I tell them I don't. And stop bothering me.

Which doesn't seem to be a viable option any more, thanks to Minority Report Jr.

*In my case, the United States of America. We have many things badly screwed up, but "sales associates" still know their place.

Re:sensationalism

[fatphil]

The problem is that it's so easy to slippery slope this in many different directions. You don't need to identify the people before it starts getting uncomfortable or creepy. Sure, face gives you a good stab at gender and age. Clothing style would tell you more - predominantly black, and you could offer them a cheap knife and tell them to kill themselves. Denim with patches on, you offer them some glue or solvents and tell them that the fucking 80s is over.

Me, I think I'm gonna reserve the right to wear a face-mask when I enter the shop. They'll of course reserve the right not to serve me, and escort me from the premises. Then I'll exercise my right to go back to the open-air market that I traditionally shop at, rather the corporate bottom-line-is-everything cess-pit that is apparently the modern supermarket, and promise to not make the same mistake again.

Re:sensationalism

[gstoddart]

This is a "slippery slope argument" and therefore invalid.

Then you're an idiot, or fooling yourself.

Just because something nefarious could happen in the future does not mean it will and does not mean it will not be stopped before it happens.

And based on the nefarious stuff which happens now, and the distinct lack of stopping it, I conclude that the same bullshit will happen with different technology. It will just be more widespread and pervasive.

I'm not suggesting they're going to be any different than they are now, I'm saying they're already acting like douchebags and I expect them to continue. I call that a safe bet.

Do you really think that within hours of facial recognition being turned on or even proposed that it would not be posted on Slashdot?

And WTF would posting it on Slashdot do? There's all sorts of stuff that might outrage us here on Slashdot which the rest of the populace will say "well, as long as they're doing it to protect against terrorists it must be OK".

It is never too late to turn something off.

Bullshit. Because the companies have the ability to pay lobbyists to ensure it doesn't get turned off.

When your politicians are paid actors on behalf of corporations, and you already have evidence that corporations act like unprincipled assholes, you don't assume that this time they'll suddenly play nice.

Re:sensationalism

[BasilBrush]

Denim with patches on, you offer them some glue or solvents and tell them that the fucking 80s is over.

In a generally decent rant about profiling, it's a shame you succumbed to some profiling of your own.

Re:sensationalism

[jklovanc]

There is a huge gap between being identified as "Joe Klovance" and "middle aged white male"... yes ... right up until they tie in the date/time on the video with the swiping of your loyalty and/or credit card at the till. And glasses, masks... won't be much help there.

If they wre doing this then there would be a problem but they are not. The moment they proposed doing this they would be stopped with the same kind or process that is going on now.

Besides which, isn't it a bit presumptious, ...

That is called advertising. Different ads are created for different demographic and it is an advantage to display those ad to the correct demographic. Are they always exact? No, but they are effective enough. For example, are there middle aged men who like Justin Bieber? Yes, but there are more middle aged men who would prefer to see an ad for a classic rock album. Are twenty year old girls interested in fishing gear?.It is much more effective to display an ad that 80% of the viewer's demographic is interested in rather than an ad the 20% are interested in.

Google Glass

[Somebody Is Using My]

Great. Now how long until I can get an "ad-blocker" that, with Google Glass, automatically detects and filters out this obtrusive advertising. Because right now I'm using an older analog method (closing my eyes) and I keep bumping into things.

My local grocer has TVs next to each till that shows nothing but adverts. I used to turn them off by pushing the power button on the front. Then they wised up and replaced them with new models that didn't have power buttons. I'm guessing I wasn't the only one who did that ;-)

Re:Ski-mask, now also for shopping!

[CastrTroy]

Something comes to mind about Tesco not allowing hoodies, even if you bought it there. I'm pretty sure ski masks would be out of the question.

Old Mo had it right....

[SteveAstro]

And they wonder why people wear Burquas.
Mohammed, at the cutting edge of the consumer fight back

Cacklings of a Supervillain

[GameboyRMH]

Simon Sugar, chief executive of Amscreen, the firm which sells the technology, has admitted it has connotations of science fiction, but is looking to increase its reach further. 'Yes, it's like something out of Minority Report, but this could change the face of British retail and our plans are to expand the screens into as many supermarkets as possible,' he said."

That is the worst-failed attempt at reassurance I've ever read 8-(

Re:Cacklings of a Supervillain

[game kid]

It's reassurance of the Fuck You, I'm Rich, Now Bend Further Over kind.

Kudos to whoever tagged the story "balaclava"..."change the face of British retail" indeed.

Re:Cacklings of a Supervillain

[AmiMoJo]

Here is a photo of his gormless mug: http://www.digitalsignageeurope.com/files/imagecache/maxinail/Simon_Sugar_head_shot.JPG

There are plenty more on Google. Just print one out and use it as a mask when you visit a Tesco petrol station. Be sure to buy some gay porn, toys for boys aged 4-6, a shovel, some fertilizer and a box of matches while you are at it.

Re:phillip K dick

[cayenne8]

So....everyone just needs to start getting out of the car to pump their gas at these stations with a mask on!!

:)

Everyone wear the same mask, maybe the Guy Fawkes (sp?) mask, and that way really fsck with the ad database by having the same ad shown to everyone at all times...that should really skew the stats.

Shell gas stations, usa, ca. 2008

[TigerPlish]

A Shell station I used to go to at another job had brand new pumps installed in 2008. These "new" and "improved" pumps would start playing ads the second you took the nozzle off the cradle and started pumping.

Result? I haven't been to that station in 7 years. To hell with intrusive adverts to a captive audience.

Boycott the store, people. Don't buy there. There is no greater "fuck you" to a merchant than an empty till and a competitor's store full of what used to be your own customers.

Re:Shell gas stations, usa, ca. 2008

[mythosaz]

Tracking systems* already ignore everyone wearing a fedora.

*and women

Re:phillip K dick

[Joce640k]

I'm thinking more of a pair of glasses with built-in video projectors. It can project a Guy Fawkes mask onto your face as you walk around town.

You may laugh but it'll probably sound like a good idea a couple of decades from now. I should probably patent it.

Re:Ski-mask, now also for shopping!

[idontgno]

Tesco is a British chain and brand.

In keeping with history and culture, I recommend Guy Fawkes masks instead.

A useful benefit is that you'll find out what types of advertising recommendations Anonymous members usually get.

Re:Foil it with a T-shirt?

[fatphil]

Input = 4 eyes. Whirr, whirr, crunch, crunch: "Greenday CDs now only 8 dollars".

Everything you use to confuse it could be used as input it could use to profile you. Your best defence is to be as nondescript as possible.

Your best offence is to take your money elsewhere.

"Queue at the till" - the real problem

[Animats]

As one of the better retail consultants points out to retailers, you have a customer there all ready to give you their money and you're making them wait. That's a terrible mistake for a retailer. It means some people will go elsewhere next time. Some will even abandon their cart and walk out. Most retailers fail to get this.

One that does is The Gap. Notice that at a Gap store, there is no checkout clutter. There are no checkout-area displays. No impulse-buy items. There's a lot of empty counter space at checkout, and usually more than one check-out clerk. This encourages customers to bring multiple items to checkout, and discourages walk-outs because there's a line. Gap is very profitable despite a rather dull product line in a mature industry.

(This is also true on-line, which is why Amazon's "one click" checkout was so valuable an idea.)

Unplug, and let the minimum wage attempt to care

[halcyon1234]

Made the mistake of going into a Bed Bath & Beyond recently. They have LCD screens with speakers playing ads set up everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. There's dozens in an aisle. Stand in the middle of an aisle, and you're assaulted on all sides by loud, tinny, high pitched ads. You cannot go anywhere in the store without being in range of at lest five of them.

While I (almost) understand selling premium aisle space to one or two companies to plug an adbox-- this was beyond ridiculous. A pure example of company greed mixed with advertiser childish need to be heard.

So while my wife hunted for the items we needed (not either of our choice, wedding gifts), I amused myself by walking up and down the aisles, unplugging the things. They were all just these cheapass LCD screens you would buy from Walmart. Cheap shit consumer crap, lowest possible cost (with horrifically shitty sound, further driving up the annoyance factor). Shows just how much the advertisers care about quality. Anyways, they're all powered by standard AC adapters plugged in to the side by those little round plugs. So walk around, take a quick look, and yank. One down. I think I got about dozen of them, and the aisles were so much quieter.

Try it out next time you're stuck in this situation. It's great fun. And really, what's the minimum wage stockperson going to do even if they see you? Do you think they get any of that sweet money the store gets from sucking the advertiser's cock? They're probably just as annoyed at being exposed to this noise NON STOP for their entire shift. And even if they aren't-- the store ain't paying them nearly enough to care.

Wouldn't work in New Jersey or Orgeon

[LoRdTAW]

In New Jersey and Oregon you are not allowed to pump your own gas.

I hope to never see this tech this side of the pond. A Sunoco station opened up near my home years back a block from a Hess. The pumps have one of those annoying video screens that plays adverts. To make it worse, the Sunoco architect thought it was a good idea to put three pumps in a row with no space between aisles to get between cars parked at the outer pumps. So you are stuck in the middle waiting if you finish filling or the middle pump is empty. Moronic setup.The Hess gets my money as their pumps have no screens and the layout is four rows of two pumps so there is never an in between pump.

Re:phillip K dick

[Anonymous Brave Guy]

So....everyone just needs to start getting out of the car to pump their gas at these stations with a mask on!!

You laugh, but I wonder how they'd react if you pulled up on a motorcycle and didn't remove your crash helmet before starting to fill up (something almost all petrol stations in the UK ask you to do for security reasons).

If a few bikers challenge the request on privacy grounds, and then ride off and fill up somewhere else if the attendants can't switch off the ad-cams, Tesco are going to wind up looking pretty silly.

I'd make some smart-ass comment about voting with my wallet, but then I've generally avoided my nearest Tesco store anyway since they installed ANPR camera enforcement on their car park and posters covered in legalese threatening to fine me lots of money for going shopping at their store. (Yes, there have been reports of people fined for allegedly breaking the rules when -- surprise -- it turned out to be the spy cam system not working properly.)

I'll never see these ads.

[CeasedCaring]

From what I've read elsewhere, these will be placed inside the shop.
All Tesco petrol pumps have "Pay at Pump" where a card reader is built into the pump, so there's never a need to go into the shop.

Besides, Asda is usually a little cheaper in my area.

Humorous defense

[Gravis Zero]

I have a friend who worked with facial recognition stuff and at a college where they tested the tech, he kept getting the same face showing up at multiple places hundreds of times. Upon further investigation, he found out that t-shirts with Bob Marley's face on it were popular there.

If you want to be anonymous, wear a t-shirt with a popular person's face on it and a hat or hood. The software will pick the easy target instead of trying repeatedly to grab your face.

Hmm...

[sociocapitalist]

I know this is a complicated solution but....don't shop at Tesco?