Cafe Chaayos Faced Backlash Over Facial Recognition System Installation

Privacy breach, data-selling to third parties, spying through built-in cameras and mics, have become the modern-day robberies. These things cost the victim a lot more than the traditional robbery involving the stealing of valuables from one’s home.

In this era, paper money is slowly becoming obsolete and precious data is being transferred to computers. And due to this, people have a lot to lose if their data is breached or sold without their consent.

Similarly, facial recognition technologies are underway, while some countries have them running in some places. People raised their concern on such control over the public and deemed it unsuitable, as they will feel watched all the time. The boundaries to privacy are becoming thinner and this has been making everyone worry about their digital safety.

Cafe Chaayos Faced Backlash Over Facial Recognition System Installation

One such cafe in India violated its customer’s privacy by installing facial recognition technology without informing them. This created a ruckus and started a call to data protection laws.

Indian cafe silently captures its customers’ facial pictures for a ‘loyalty account’ system, without their knowledge. 

India’s cafe was capturing the pictures of its customers without any consent to sign them up for a loyalty account. Once your facial data is stored, it recognizes the returning customer and assigns loyalty points based on the purchase they make. Moreover, this happened without any prior notification to those customers or giving them any freedom to opt-out from being captured.

India is on the road to becoming one of the largest technological hubs in the coming years. However, it fails to impose proper laws regarding data distribution. According to various sources, the cafe is being revealed as Chaayos. This particular dine-in place is set to open 300 outlets nationwide by 2023. Now, it is under the grips of a controversy, which doesn’t make things easier for it.

Read Also: Amitabh Bachchan Faces Backlash After His Tweet Caught Attention

Customers took it to social media to call Chaayos out for capturing their images without their consent. 

Chayoos has face recognition now?! Ek chai ke liye pehalein apna data bechu main??

— Jatin (@__jstar) November 22, 2019

This wasn’t the only tweet. In fact, many voiced their displeasure over such a privacy breach. However, Chaayos gave their clarification through a Twitter thread revealing their ‘facial recognition system’ to be encrypted. Moreover, they informed that the data will not be sold to a third party. Their customers have the option to opt-out of the system’s requirement.

Chaayos’s statement regarding the uproar.

Data from the facial recognition feature is encrypted & cannot be accessed by any party, including Chaayos itself except for the purpose of logging-in our customers

— Chaayos (@Chaayos) November 21, 2019

Chaayos gives assurity of not using their customers’ data for anything but for the loyalty system, they are introducing.

There is no third party sharing of the data for any purpose. And Chaayos does not use or process this information for any other purpose

— Chaayos (@Chaayos) November 21, 2019

Many complained about not being given any information beforehand or the option to opt-out.

The customer has the right to not opt-in for the feature. They can also use the “Opt-out” feature on our website to permanently delete their data captured on our systems

— Chaayos (@Chaayos) November 21, 2019

Whether this simmered down the genuine concerns of the people is a different story altogether. Moreover, it has become common knowledge worldwide that even the devices we hold and use 24/7 spy on us. In addition, our data that is required to register on to websites and mobile applications are also sold to third parties and more.

Technology and what we don’t know!

Facebook, that is one of the most used apps has been spying through cameras, mics, and whatnot for quite a long time. However, the users continue to use it regardless. This is how integrated we have become with technology.

The future of personal digital data doesn’t look bright in terms of personal ownership and consent to its distribution. Hopefully, this cafe will stick to the ethical route and not go the conventional way of jeopardizing its customer’s data.

 

Have anything to add to the story? Comment below!