Supermarket cameras to guess age of alcohol buyers
Major supermarket chains have begun testing an automated age-verification system, to avoid the wait for staff at self-checkouts when buying alcohol. The trial will use cameras that can estimate each customer's age. It is part of a Home Office test of technologies to assist with the selling of alcohol. Asda, Co-op and Morrisons are installing the system in some shops. The same technology is already used in Aldi's checkout-free shop in London. If customers consent, the camera will guess their age, using algorithms trained on a database of anonymous faces. If it decides they are under 25, they will need to show ID to a member of staff. "Waiting for age approval at the self-checkout is sometimes frustrating for shoppers," Robin Tombs, chief executive of Yoti, the company providing the technology, said. "Our age-verification solutions are helping retailers like Asda meet the requirements of regulators worldwide and keep pace with consumer demands for fast and conv...
