A photo shared on Reddit showed one of the vending machines with an error code suggesting it used facial-recognition tech.
  • The University of Waterloo is expected to remove smart vending machines from its campus.
  • A student discovered an error code that suggested the machines used facial-recognition technology.
  • Vending Services said the technology didn’t take or store customers’ photos.
  • SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world
    3·
    9 months ago

    Accounts tied to school ID card? That way you can’t steal someone’s and use theirs, just polls a database and correlates your picture to your id image or something.

    About the only use case I can think of for a school.

    • otacon239@feddit.de
      3·
      9 months ago

      This definitely couldn’t backfire. Can’t think of a single reason in recent memory why someone’s face wouldn’t be visible… 🤔

    • betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      9 months ago

      At least in the case covered by the article, they don’t appear to be doing that:

      … the director of technology services for Adaria Vending Services[1] told MathNews that “an individual person cannot be identified using the technology in the machines.”

      Still possible if they’re being less-than-perfectly-honest in that statement, they invest more into the technology or with another machine/company somewhere else.

      1

      … the smart vending machines… [are] provided by Adaria Vending Services and manufactured by Invenda Group.

      • Deceptichum@kbin.social
        3·
        9 months ago

        That statement sounds weasely as fuck.

        The technology in that specific machine cannot identify a user, does not mean the machine does no store or transmit the footage to be processed on another machine or system that can.

        • betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          9 months ago

          “It does not engage in storage, communication, or transmission of any imagery or personally identifiable information,”…

          The linked article includes this statement from Invenda, the manufacturer of the machines. Still have to rely on their truthfulness but they do address that specific point.

      • SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world
        2·
        9 months ago

        Oh definitely isn’t, just an example of how it can be used. I’ve seen it used in plants to administer safety gear so people don’t use a dozen gloves a week, even though it’s free and provided.