iTnews

7-Eleven Australia deploys facial recognition on customer feedback tablets

By Ry Crozier on Jun 22, 2020 2:28PM
7-Eleven Australia deploys facial recognition on customer feedback tablets

Says technology is 'not used for any other purpose'.

7-Eleven Australia is deploying facial recognition technology to all 700 stores nationwide as part of a customer feedback capture mechanism, but says the technology is “not used for any other purpose”.

Customers of the Australian arm of the convenience chain have reported the appearance of vague signs being placed in the windows of stores over the past few weeks, both to iTnews and on Twitter.

"Site is under constant video surveillance. By entering the store you consent to facial recognition cameras capturing and storing your image,” the sign reads.

A spokesperson for 7-Eleven Australia told iTnews that the technology is tied to a deployment of Rate It, a customer experience (CX) measurement tool that runs on a tablet device in-store.

7-Eleven uses different facial recognition technology in other markets such as Thailand, but this is not being used in Australia.

The Australian spokesperson said that the “use of facial recognition within the Rate It tablet is to ensure that the feedback is accurate and valid, and given customer feedback is so important to us we don’t want the system being ‘gamed’.” 

“The technology is not used for any other purpose,” the spokesperson said.

“If a customer doesn’t use the feedback tablet, their image won’t be recorded. The camera is only activated upon commencement of an interaction and is dormant at all other times.  

“The data captured by the tablet is a 'biometric blurring' and only an encrypted algorithmic representation of the image is recorded.

"This encrypted algorithmic representation is stored by Rate It for seven days for the validation to occur, after which they are permanently destroyed.  

“7-Eleven does not have access to this encrypted data.”

The 7-Eleven Australia spokesperson said the general warning at the store entry was worded conservatively on purpose.

“Just as with CCTV within our stores and throughout the retail sector, we alert customers to this fact prior to entering a store so they understand their image may be recorded once they enter the store,” the spokesperson said.

7-Eleven said Rate It would replace a manual customer feedback form in-store.

“Responding to ever changing needs of the convenience customer is at the heart of 7-Eleven’s business. A key to achieving this is to get customer feedback fast, and being able to act on it fast,” the spokesperson said.

“We are replacing the outdated practice of having people with a clipboard and pencil with a tablet so customers can give us immediate feedback on their experience in real time and allow us to act on our learnings swiftly at a store level.”

Got a news tip for our journalists? Share it with us anonymously here.
Copyright © iTnews.com.au . All rights reserved.
Tags:
7eleven australiacxfacial recognitionhardwareprivacyrate itretailitsecuritysoftware

Partner Content

5 essential digital transformation ideas
Promoted Content 5 essential digital transformation ideas
Avoiding CAPEX by making on-premise IT more cloud-like
Promoted Content Avoiding CAPEX by making on-premise IT more cloud-like
Don't miss Australia’s premiere IoT Conference on 9th June
Promoted Content Don't miss Australia’s premiere IoT Conference on 9th June
Security "mindset shift" needed to protect organisations
Promoted Content Security "mindset shift" needed to protect organisations

Sponsored Whitepapers

Planning before the breach: You can’t protect what you can’t see
Planning before the breach: You can’t protect what you can’t see
Beyond FTP: Securing and Managing File Transfers
Beyond FTP: Securing and Managing File Transfers
NextGen Security Operations: A Roadmap for the Future
NextGen Security Operations: A Roadmap for the Future
Video: Watch Juniper talk about its Aston Martin partnership
Video: Watch Juniper talk about its Aston Martin partnership
Don’t pay the ransom: A three-step guide to ransomware protection
Don’t pay the ransom: A three-step guide to ransomware protection

Events

  • iTnews Benchmark Awards 2022 - Finalist Showcase
  • IoT Impact Conference
  • Cyber Security for Government Summit
By Ry Crozier
Jun 22 2020
2:28PM
0 Comments

Related Articles

  • 7-Eleven disables facial image capture on customer feedback tablets
  • Clearview AI fined £7.5 million by UK privacy watchdog
  • Clean Energy Regulator swaps Fujitsu for Digital61
  • Videoconferencing apps can access muted mics
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Email A Friend

Most Read Articles

NBN Co sizes up six-figure customer exodus a year to fixed wireless

NBN Co sizes up six-figure customer exodus a year to fixed wireless

NBN Co to cut 160 applications under $200m IT simplification

NBN Co to cut 160 applications under $200m IT simplification

What to expect from the incoming Labor government

What to expect from the incoming Labor government

NBN Co's 250Mbps and gigabit growth is finally clear

NBN Co's 250Mbps and gigabit growth is finally clear

Digital Nation

COVER STORY: A Year in the Metaverse
COVER STORY: A Year in the Metaverse
Why do DeFi and DAOs matter to business?
Why do DeFi and DAOs matter to business?
COVER STORY: Data and IoT set digital agriculture on a sustainable future
COVER STORY: Data and IoT set digital agriculture on a sustainable future
Lendlease launches its own metaverse in Milan
Lendlease launches its own metaverse in Milan
CTO Juergen Mueller offers a glimpse into SAP's metaverse play
CTO Juergen Mueller offers a glimpse into SAP's metaverse play
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form without prior authorisation.
Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of nextmedia's Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.