If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Customers entering Wegmans stores in New York City are now being monitored in new ways. The grocery chain has started collecting biometric information such as facial, eye, and voice data from anyone who walks into its Manhattan and Brooklyn locations, according to recently posted signs. The notices explain that the data collection is meant to “protect the safety and security of our patrons and employees.” This marks a notable expansion of a 2024 pilot program that Wegmans had described as small and temporary. At that time, the company stated that biometric scanning applied only to a limited number of employees and that any information gathered from shoppers would be deleted. The new notices make no mention of deletion or data limits. Wegmans did not respond to questions about how it stores the information, how long it keeps it, or whether it shares it with outside parties, Gothamist reported. Efforts to regulate the use of biometric tracking by private businesses in New York have stalled. A 2023 City Council proposal sought to restrict such technologies after Madison Square Garden used facial recognition to identify and remove attorneys connected to lawsuits against the company. The bill has since gone nowhere, and Councilmember Shahana Hanif, who introduced it, did not comment on Wegmans’ expanded use of the system. A city rule passed in 2021 only requires businesses to display a sign when they collect biometric identifiers. The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection has said that it cannot penalize companies that fail to comply, leaving individuals to pursue their own legal action. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Wegmans Expands Biometric Surveillance in NYC Stores, Collecting Facial, Eye, and Voice Data from Shoppers appeared first on Reclaim The Net.