Therefore, stores want to store information about your face

Imagine stepping into a store where an automatic camera captures your age, gender and facial expression - and whether you are a regular customer or not, something it recognizes. How would you react?

This is exactly what a store in Stockholm now wants to launch, something that, according to those responsible, should increase competitiveness vis-à-vis online commerce. In July, Nordic Tech House plans to open a shop with face recognition.

- We do this to save the trade, the stores have to take the technology to meet the big challenges they face, says Linus Kaasik, co-founder and investment manager at the company.

Collecting data on customers to map consumption patterns and customize offers is nothing new in itself. What's new is that the same principles are used in physical stores in Sweden.

In the US, companies have been developing prototypes for the collection for some time now, and in several places they have already had a ban. But in Sweden, technology is about to pass legislation.

Nordic Tech House founder Linus Kaasik emphasizes that the experience for the customer will be better, and in the long term believe that the technology can be resold to other stores.

- We want to create a new type of store where you get better personal service. We want the customer to avoid queues, the cash registers to be removed and the staff to know your name, he says.

The GDPR Act came into force last year and regulates the collection and handling of personal data. Nordic Tech Lab says that the collection of facial data is the storage of "body data", which according to them would not conflict with GDPR.

On the other hand, it is not a matter of compulsion to share their data, Kaasik confirms. He points out that they intend to collect consent for the collection when the customer steps into the store.

Kaasik emphasizes that they will comply with the existing legislation and says that he himself, after all, is positive to face recognition as long as it leads to a better customer experience.

At the same time, he admits that there are risks.

- After all, we have seen that personal data can leak even on government agencies, so there is certainly a risk. But we will not sell any data further, it will only be stored locally and not in the cloud.

Play