City store's Big Brother-style anti-theft new CCTV will 'recognise' shoplifters

 http://www.edinburghnews.com/news.cfm?id=EN01147212

THE firm behind one of Edinburgh's biggest bookshops is to install a hi-tech security system to stop shoplifters.

American-owned chainstore Borders, which has a branch in Kinnaird Park, is to become the world's first retailer to use the SmartFace CCTV recognition device. The technology uses digital face-mapping to check customers' faces against those of known shoplifters.

Unmatched images are discarded after being run through the process which analyses 80 facial features. The system's makers, Visionics, claim it has a match rate of more than 99 per cent. Last year, retailers spent L626m on sophisticated security measures.

Borders is awaiting confirmation from the British distributors of SmartFace to ensure the technology would not breach the Data Protection Act or the European Convention on Human Rights.



Tuesday, 28th August 2001