Australian Retail Facial Recognition

Australian retailers have used or tested facial-recognition systems to identify suspected repeat offenders and address retail crime or workplace safety concerns.

The Bunnings case brought these practices before the Administrative Review Tribunal and the Privacy Commissioner, raising questions about when biometric information is collected, what notice customers must receive, and how privacy risks should be assessed. Trials or discussions involving Coles and Woolworths broaden the issue beyond one company. Regulators, retailers, researchers, and advocates continue to debate deployment thresholds, retention, accuracy, bias, community acceptance, and the need for clearer governance.