1 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:08,800 Speaker 1: Questions, answers, thanks analysis, the drive show you trust for 2 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: the full picture. Heather du pass on and drive with 3 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: one New Zealand let's get connected news dogs. That'd be. 4 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 2: Afternoon. The Privacy Commissioner has given the thumbs up to 5 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 2: food Stuff's facial recognition trial. He found the trial to 6 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 2: be compliant with the Privacy Act and successful in reducing 7 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 2: retail crime. Julian Benfield is the General Council for food Stuff. 8 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 2: So Julian, Hi, Heather, any idea how much crime you 9 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 2: guys prevented? 10 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 3: Look, you know, our priority has always been the safety 11 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,319 Speaker 3: of our team and customers, and the safety has been 12 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 3: put at risk by high levels of retail crime. That's 13 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 3: why we tried facial recognition in our stores to see 14 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 3: whether it could help reduce harm in our people. Our 15 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,639 Speaker 3: trial has been a success, found their technology was effective 16 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 3: in reducing harm. Our independent evaluator found a sixteen percent 17 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 3: reduction and serious harm incidents across the trip pre period 18 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 3: and over one hundred serious incidents avoided through that trial 19 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 3: period across the twenty five stores. So ultimately very pleased 20 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:08,839 Speaker 3: to see the outcome from the OPC today. 21 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 2: What happens now? Are you going to roll it out 22 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 2: to all your stores. 23 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,399 Speaker 3: Look, we've worked constructively with the Privacy Commission for a 24 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 3: long period of time, and ultimately we are very pleased 25 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 3: with them finding that we've met privacy requirements as we've 26 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 3: worked very hard on our privacy safeguards from here. We've 27 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:27,960 Speaker 3: received the report today, so we're going to take some 28 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 3: time to digest their feedback. You know, we love that 29 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 3: they've mentioned all of the safeguards that we have placed. 30 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 3: They have mentioned a few improvements that we will look 31 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 3: at as well, So we will digest that report before 32 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 3: we decide on next steps. 33 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 2: Well, isn't it a no brainer? I mean, if it 34 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 2: is preventing all of this crime, and there's plenty of 35 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 2: retail crime around, why wouldn't you roll it out to 36 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 2: all your stores? 37 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 3: Yes, I mean, this trial has shown that that facial 38 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 3: recognition is effective in reducing harm by repeat defenders. Repeat 39 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 3: defenders cause around a third of our incidents, and we've 40 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 3: seen around five thousand retail crime incidents every quarter, so 41 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 3: we think, you know, it has been very effective in 42 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 3: dealing with harm events. It's one of the most proactive 43 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 3: tools in identifying crime and stopping it earlier on in 44 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 3: the store journey. There is just a bit of detail 45 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 3: on that report, and the OPC has recommended that we 46 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 3: take on board that feedback before we consider a broader 47 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,639 Speaker 3: role out. But we are heading that way and in 48 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 3: the meantime we'll continue to use the technology and the 49 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:24,799 Speaker 3: twenty five stores that tried it. 50 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 2: Is it pricey. 51 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 3: Look, you know, we we have made investments in this 52 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 3: area because the safety of our team and customers is 53 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,679 Speaker 3: absolutely critical. Everyone in our stores deserves to return home 54 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 3: safe every day, so we haven't really focused too much 55 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 3: on the investment. What I would say though, is that 56 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 3: there has been an incredible effort in consulting with the 57 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,239 Speaker 3: OPC and thinking about our systems and procedures. So there's 58 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 3: been a huge amount of effort in work to manage 59 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 3: this technology responsibly. 60 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:57,399 Speaker 2: All right, Julian, thanks very much for your time. Julian Benefield, 61 00:02:57,639 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 2: General counsel for Food Stuff's North Island. 62 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 63 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: Newstalk SETB from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 64 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.