Popular grocery store chain uses biometric surveillance on shoppers, raising privacy concerns (Wegmans in New York City))

Fox ^ | 1-6-2026 | Ashley J. DiMella

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A viral post highlighting biometric surveillance at a Wegmans grocery store in New York City is sparking renewed privacy concerns.

"Biometric identifier information collected at this location," a sign attached to the door of a Wegmans reads.

"Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. collects, retains, converts, stores or shares customers' biometric identifier information, which may include" facial recognition, eye scans and voiceprints, the sign states.

Wegmans confirmed it is collecting the biometric readings, telling Fox News Digital in a statement the "safety of our customers and employees is a top priority."

The company went on, "Like many retailers, we use cameras to help identify individuals who pose a risk to our people, customers or operation. In a small fraction of our stores that exhibit an elevated risk, we have deployed cameras equipped with facial recognition technology."

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Mayor Mammydammy will make them stop. Free food for everyone!/s

[escapefromboston]

I don’t want big business spying on me anymore than I want big government spying on me but I guess that boat sailed along time ago.

[The Louiswu]

So what's new? Go to a major airport and just count the number of cameras watching the crowd, put your passport and face to a scanner to go through to your plane, now understand that those cameras are connected to an AI facial recognition program looking for "undesirables" and matching social media to faces and throwing up red flags on certain, questionable individuals.

The age of constant surveillance is already her, attaching social media and scoring each of us is rapidly approaching and soon, someone will enter a grocery store, be met by security and told they cannot purchase food with out a "review" of their social media posts and potential reeducation, for the good of society.

[Salamander]

Giant/Martins has “Marty”, the creepy robot rolling in the aisles, to
“ spot spills and alert cleanup”.

Marty has 28 cameras inside of him.

And he WILL shadow you sometimes.

[Resolute Conservative]

I believe in private property rights and I also believe in my right not to go into their #$%$ store.

[vikingd00d]

>>Mayor Mammydammy will make them stop. Free food for everyone!/s

I seem to recall convenience stores in Philadelphia several years back installing a lot of bullet-proof glass because a certain demographic kept robbing them and shooting the clerks for fun. A leftist politician got upset and got a law passed that forced those stores to remove all their bullet-proof glass. Now that certain demographic can rob and murder again unhindered.

[ClearCase_guy]

individuals who pose a risk to our people

[V_TWIN]

“our stores that exhibit an elevated risk”

Please allow me to translate:

We are implementing this due to a higher than usual theft rate from a certain ethnicity.

[Ezekiel]

"Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. collects, retains, converts, stores or shares customers' biometric identifier information, which may include" facial recognition, eye scans and voiceprints, the sign states.

Converts to what... $$$?

Best to avoid the 'sell' word.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The self-checkout at the local Walmart shows you a video of your face as you scan items. They also have overhead AI cameras analyzing your movements that alert attendants if it looks like you might have skipped scanning an item. I am sure they are collecting facial recognition data while they are at it.

[mewzilla]

FWIW...

https://www.wegmans.com/news-media/press-releases/wegmans-statement-on-facial-recognition-technology

Note to Wegmans: Prosecutions and convictions would serve your purpose better while not grossly violating customers’ privacy.

BTW, I didn’t need another reason to avoid your stores like the plague, but I know some folks who could use one. I’ll be sure to pass this along.

[albie]

Maybe this is why I’m seeing so many masks lately? Or perhaps it’s the same pussies that falsely think the masks are effective.

[TexasGator]

It is designed to keep lowlifes out of the stores. From your post it is already working.

[Made In The USA]

I think this story misses a key point: Wegmans has not expanded to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

In an airport, you are probably getting on a federally highly-regulated airplane. Not so in a store. Airlines have been targets of terrorists for decades. Generally not so for a store. Very different things.

[The Great RJ]

Wait until Mondami opens his peoples collective grocery stores with wholesale looting soon to follow. Just like groceries in Cuba and Venezuela the shelves will be empty.

[Reily]

And of course those empty shelves will be someone else’s fault!

[mewzilla]

Treating everyone like a perp is bad for biz.

[TexasGator]

“Treating everyone like a perp is bad for biz.”

They are not treating everyone like a perp.

[The Louiswu]

Very different things.

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Different but to the same end. Someday soon people will be restricted as to how and where they can travel based on similar criteria. Everything that’s going on is headed towards the surveillance state and not even Trump can stop or change that.