Sainsbury’s is to roll out facial recognition technology to more than 200 stores by the end of 2026, however Big Brother Watch warns that the new policy exposing millions of law-abiding individuals to significant risks of privacy violations.

The facial recognition technology [1] is now active in 55 stores following a successful trial and is set to be implemented in an additional 150 stores by December 2026. The supermarket reported that the technology has been effective in reducing crime, noting that 92% of identified and banned offenders do not return to its stores. In September 2025, Sainsbury’s commenced [2] a trial of the Facewatch technology at its Sydenham superstore and Bath Oldfield convenience store despite Asda facing [3] thousands of complaints after piloting a similar facial recognition trial in April of same year. Simon Roberts who is the Chief Executive Officer of J Sainsbury plc said, “We understand that facial recognition technology can raise valid questions about data and privacy. This trial and subsequent rollout is not about monitoring colleagues or our valued customers. It's focused solely on identifying serious offenders who have committed acts of violence, aggression or theft, helping our teams prevent further harm.”

In January 2026, the [4] trial was extended to 5 locations in London, Dalston, Elephant and Castle, Ladbroke Grove, Camden and Whitechapel which the supermarket described as resulting in a significant reduction in store theft. The system notifies staff when an individual “reasonably suspected of involvement in crime” enters the store, based on reports from Sainsbury’s employees or other retailers in the vicinity. “This expansion is intentional and transparent. It helps us understand how facial recognition works when several stores in the same area adopt it at the same time, while giving colleagues and customers confidence in how it’s being introduced. Clear signage is in place at all stores using the technology, so customers know it is in operation,” said Sainsbury’s.

However, Big Brother Watch [5] has condemned the new facial recognition roll out plans, Silkie Carlo who [6] is the Director of Big Brother Watch warns this marks one of the largest expansions of facial recognition surveillance in the nation, raising significant concerns regarding privacy rights.  “This is one of the biggest expansions of facial recognition surveillance in the country to date that has very serious consequences for our privacy rights. Sainsbury’s and the police can legitimately target shoplifters but have no right to take face scans from millions of ordinary customers. Sainsbury’s should halt its decision to roll out live facial recognition immediately and listen to customers’ concerns. We would urge people to shop elsewhere as long as Sainsbury’s continues taking face scans of all its customers without their consent. The government must rein in this unchecked mass privacy invasion of the public.”

In February 2026, Sainsbury’s issued [7] an apology to a customer who was removed from a store due to an error involving staff and the store's facial recognition system. The company clarified that the incident was not a result of the facial recognition technology itself, but rather a case of mistakenly approaching the wrong individual in the store. A shopper in London was at the Elephant & Castle branch of Sainsbury's when he was approached by three staff members and instructed to leave the store promptly. Jasleen Chaggar the Legal and Policy Officer for Big Brother Watch said, “The idea that we are all just one facial recognition mistake away from being falsely accused of a crime or ejected from a store without any explanation is deeply chilling. To add insult to injury, innocent people seeking remedy must jump through hoops and hand over even more personal data just to discover what they’re accused of. In the vast majority of cases, they are offered little more than an apology when companies are finally forced to admit the tech got it wrong. The government’s promise to regulate this invasive technology will be payment to lip service unless it reins in the unchecked expansion of facial recognition by retailers.”