A majority of surveyed Australians support the targeted use of facial recognition technology in retail settings to identify serious and repeat offenders.
Independent polling conducted by RedBridge, commissioned by the Australian Retail Council (ARC), found strong backing for the technology where there are significant safety risks.
The RedBridge Retail Crime Prevention Survey reported that 81 per cent of respondents support the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) to identify people who have previously threatened retail staff with a weapon, while 80 per cent support its use to identify those who have physically assaulted staff or customers.
Chris Rodwell, Chief Executive of the ARC, said the findings reflect growing concern about retail crime and violence.
“Across Australia, retail staff are facing unprecedented levels of violence and intimidation simply for doing their job. Workers are increasingly facing threats with weapons, physical assaults and organised repeat offending,” Rodwell said.
“This research sends a very clear message: Australians want retail workers protected from serious and repeat offenders, and they support the careful use of technology to achieve that.”
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