I just want some candy.
Don’t scan my face.
A vending machine at the University of Waterloo has been getting a lot of attention because it’s apparently using facial recognition tech on students, faculty, and staff who just want to buy some M&Ms.
Students raised the alarm after the vending machine showed an error on the digital screen that read “Invenda.Vending. FacialRecognition.App.exe — Application error.” Without their knowledge, the “smart” machine had been scanning the faces of people walking by it to assess gender, age, and other characteristics.
While Invenda, the company behind the machine, claims it “does not collect any user data or photos, ensuring individual identification via machine technology is unattainable,” that doesn’t mean it isn’t mining people for all sorts of other data. The company’s brochures say their machine “continuously collects data” through its operating systems and that its analytics can share the “gender/age/etc.” of users.
In response to the outrage, the University of Waterloo is removing the machines. That’s a good step, but this type of mass data collection is unacceptable. And the fact that people didn’t know it was happening and had no option to opt in/out or have their data deleted, makes it even worse. Furthermore, there is nothing stopping this company from selling data or expanding its facial recognition offerings in places without laws that protect privacy or restrict biometric surveillance.
Sign the petition: I don’t want my face scanned when I use a vending machine. My personal data should not be mined by a company for profit, especially without my knowledge or consent, just to buy a snack.