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Is Big Brother watching you shop? – podcast
UK NewsBusinessTechnology•May 13, 2026 at 3:00 AMNational

Is Big Brother watching you shop? – podcast

By Presented by Annie Kelly with Jessica Murray; produced by Tom Glasser and Brian McNamara; executive producers Sami Kent and Homa Khaleeli•The Guardian - UK News

From supermarkets to corner shops, live facial recognition could be coming to retailers near you. Jessica Murray on the AI systems increasingly used by the police and storesLive facial recognition is being hailed as a powerful new frontier in the fight against crime, not only by police but by private companies too. Retailers from supermarkets to corner shops hope it will help them fight back against shoplifting.But the Guardian’s social affairs correspondent, Jessica Murray, points out that it will also expand surveillance into more and more public spaces. And the technology doesn’t always get it right. Continue reading...

From supermarkets to corner shops, live facial recognition could be coming to retailers near you. Jessica Murray on the AI systems increasingly used by the police and stores

Live facial recognition is being hailed as a powerful new frontier in the fight against crime, not only by police but by private companies too. Retailers from supermarkets to corner shops hope it will help them fight back against shoplifting.

But the Guardian’s social affairs correspondent, Jessica Murray, points out that it will also expand surveillance into more and more public spaces. And the technology doesn’t always get it right.

Continue reading...

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