Your Face May Be Getting Scanned; Here Is What New York Is Doing About It

Earlier this year, shoppers at Wegmans locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn noticed something new posted near the entrance: a notice informing them that the store was collecting biometric data, including information about their faces, eyes, and voices. The disclosure came not as a voluntary announcement, but as a requirement under a 2021 New York City law mandating that businesses using such technology inform customers.

For many New Yorkers, it was the first time they had encountered the issue directly. For policymakers across the state, it renewed a debate that has been building for years.