Sainsbury's plans wider facial recognition rollout to combat shoplifting

Sainsbury's, the UK's second-largest supermarket chain, is preparing to expand its use of facial recognition technology in stores as part of efforts to reduce shoplifting. The move has drawn criticism from privacy advocates, who argue that the system raises serious concerns about surveillance and mistaken identification.

The retailer first tested the technology in branches in Sydenham and Bath Oldfield Park in September last year, before extending it to locations in London earlier in 2026. According to Sainsbury's, more than 55 stores are already using the system, with plans to increase that number to as many as 200 by the end of 2026.

How the system is being used

The facial recognition platform is supplied by Facewatch, which also counts Budgens, Costcutter, Southern Co-op, Spar, B&M and Sports Direct among its customers. Sainsbury's has said the technology has helped identify repeat offenders, claiming that 90% of people flagged by the system did not return to the store.

Privacy group Big Brother Watch described the rollout as one of the largest examples of live facial recognition use in the UK and said it could have significant implications for shoppers' privacy rights. The organisation has encouraged customers to take their business elsewhere.

Concerns over errors and false accusations

Campaigners say they continue to hear from people who believe they were wrongly identified by facial recognition tools. Big Brother Watch director Silkie Carlo said the group had received reports from shoppers seeking help after alleged mistakes by the system.

One widely reported incident involved a Sainsbury's store in Elephant and Castle, London, where a customer was reportedly asked to leave after staff acted on an alert linked to another person on a watchlist. The individual said the incident was humiliating. Sainsbury's later apologised and said the issue stemmed from staff responding to the wrong person, while also promising additional training.

Facial recognition is also being adopted more widely by police forces in Britain, despite ongoing debate about bias, accuracy and the balance between security and civil liberties.