Rite Aid Retreats on Facial Recognition: What Went Wrong and Lessons Learned

Word count: 851 Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

You're checking out at your local Rite Aid when you notice something new. Circular cameras mounted above the shelves are pointing right at you! Before you have time to think, the cashier greets you as normal. Unsettled, you rush home and google Rite Aid. You're shocked to learn the cameras are actually scanning shoppers' faces without consent. How did this happen and what went wrong? Let's take a closer look.

Not long ago, Rite Aid quietly started using face scanning tech in hundreds of stores. The company put the cameras in shelves to monitor customers and try to stop theft. But they didn't tell shoppers or give them a choice to opt out.

This was kept secret until someone spilled the beans publicly. Then people were outraged! Privacy groups and even politicians spoke out about how Rite Aid's tech could lead to harm and discrimination. Community leaders worried the cameras would target people who didn't deserve it.

Within days, Rite Aid had to scrap the whole face scanning program and delete all the data, after their secret experiment completely backfired.

Where exactly did Rite Aid go wrong with this tech? Their failure offers some important dos and don'ts:

- Don't leave customers in the dark. Rite Aid should've been open about the cameras so people could decide if they're okay with it.

- Think twice before using technology that could do more harm than good. Rite Aid moved too fast without worrying about downsides.

- Be careful tech doesn't unfairly hurt people of color and other groups. Face scanning has been shown to be less accurate for minorities.

- Talk to stakeholders before barreling ahead. Rite Aid didn't ask for community input or slow down to consider ethics.

- Make sure benefits actually outweigh risks. Rite Aid assumed theft prevention trumped all else.

Their rushed, secretive launch ignored key concerns and principles. Once the truth came out, their tech-first mindset totally backfired.

Of course, face scanning could still help stores prevent shoplifting in the right circumstances. But companies need to be super careful and responsible when trying out such sensitive tech. Before even thinking about using biometric monitoring, businesses should:

- Really study whether benefits are worth the risks, instead of jumping to conclusions.

- Brainstorm ways to avoid discrimination, loss of privacy, or making people uncomfortable.

- Be crystal clear about the tech and let people opt out if they want.

- Test it extensively on a small scale before a full launch.

- Talk with communities and advocacy groups to spot issues early.

- Develop ethical guardrails and plans to prevent misuse.

- Share lessons within their industry about using the tech responsibly.

Advanced tech like AI can easily go wrong if ethics and people aren't the priority. Rite Aid learned this lesson the hard way. But their mistake shows other companies what not to do. And they still have the chance to earn back trust by taking their time and focusing on safeguards if they try face scanning again.

The botched launch was a wake-up call about biometric monitoring gone wrong. But businesses can avoid similar disasters if they think hard about doing right by customers, workers and society. That way advanced tech has the best shot at being helpful, not harmful.

Key Takeaways

• Rite Aid secretly used facial recognition cameras in stores before public backlash made them stop.

• The rollout lacked consent, ethics reviews, and consideration of downsides.

• It risked harming privacy and discriminating against minorities.

• Companies must carefully weigh benefits vs risks before deploying biometric monitoring.

• Responsible innovation requires safeguards, talking to stakeholders, and transparency.

Glossary

Biometric monitoring - Collecting biological data like faces to identify and track people.

Facial recognition - AI technology that matches faces to identities.

Stakeholders - Groups impacted by a company's technology like customers and communities.

FAQs

Why did Rite Aid's facial recognition program fail?

• They rushed to deploy it secretly without transparency, consent, or assessing ethical concerns.

What are the risks of biometric monitoring tech?

• Privacy violations, discrimination, inaccuracy, people feeling targeted unfairly or unsafe.

How can companies use facial recognition responsibly?

• Weigh risks vs benefits, ensure consent and ethics safeguards, engage stakeholders before deploying.

What should Rite Aid do next time?

• Institute privacy protections, assess for bias, allow opt-outs, engage community groups for input.

Source: techcrunch.com