Privacy

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'Facial recognition' error message on vending machine sparks concern at University of Waterloo (kitchener.ctvnews.ca)

submitted 9 months ago by Ninjazzon@infosec.pub to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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A set of smart vending machines at the University of Waterloo is expected to be removed from campus after students raised privacy concerns about their software.

The machines have M&M artwork on them and sell chocolate and other candy. They are located throughout campus, including in the Modern Languages building and Hagey Hall.

Earlier this month, a student noticed an error message on one of the machines in the Modern Languages building. It appeared to indicate there was a problem with a facial recognition application.

"We wouldn't have known if it weren't for the application error. There's no warning here," said River Stanley, a fourth-year student, who investigated the machines for an article in the university publication, mathNEWS.

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[–] dan1101@lemm.ee 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Best case scenario the machine has some sort of standard software with facial recognition code, but no hardware in the machine. Would he interesting to know.

[–] jeffhykin@lemm.ee 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Unfortunately its got the hardware for it https://www.invendagroup.com/vending-machines

[–] dan1101@lemm.ee 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Oh geez. These corporations are trying to be evil every way they can.

[–] Kolrami@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

MARS isn't doing a good job of proving you wrong.

According to Invenda’s website, the Smart Vending Machines can detect the presence of a person, their estimated age and gender.

I'm confident I don't need a vending machine to know any of that.