Asda trials facial recognition in five stores to combat retail crime
Asda has deployed FaiceTech's live facial recognition system in five Greater Manchester stores starting 31 March 2025, comparing customer faces against a database to identify individuals suspected of prior crimes. Campaign groups have raised concerns about potential false accusations and bias in the technology.
What happened
Asda began a two-month trial of live facial recognition technology on 31 March 2025 across five stores in Greater Manchester: Ashton, Chadderton, Harpurhey, Eastlands and Trafford Park.
The FaiceTech system is integrated into Asda's existing CCTV infrastructure and compares customer faces against a database of individuals who have previously committed crimes at Asda locations. When a match is identified, the system alerts Asda's head office security team, which verifies the match and notifies the relevant store in real time.
Reported impact
Asda stated the trial aims to reduce shoplifting, threats and violence against staff in response to reported increases in retail crime. The British Retail Consortium reported more than 2,000 daily incidents of violence and abuse against retail workers, a threefold increase since 2020, with Asda documenting 1,400 assaults on employees in 2024 alone.
Index analysis
Campaign group Big Brother Watch criticized the trial as disproportionate, arguing that accuracy and bias issues with facial recognition software have led to innocent shoppers being falsely accused of shoplifting.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.