Get the latest tech news

School using 'facial recognition technology' to take school dinner payments without student consent

The face-scanning school was reminded that 'handling people’s information correctly in a school canteen environment is as important as the handling of the food itself'

A school in Essex has been censured for using facial recognition technology in the cafeteria (stock image) ( A UK secondary school has been reprimanded for using "facial recognition technology" in their cafeteria without getting the explicit consent of students, or taking adequate steps to protect their sensitive biometric data. Though the school had sent a permission slip out to parents, parents were only given the option to opt out of the scheme, while the children had no say at all The ICO made the unusual decision to censure Chelmer Valley as they did not have express approval to "process the students’ biometric information and the students were not given the opportunity to decide whether they did or didn’t want it used in this way.” Public Technology reports that the sensitivity of this data means "organisations are required to undertake a data-protection impact assessment," - something the Information watchdog said the school failed to do.

Get the Android app