Shoppers at Wegmans’ Manhattan location react after learning the grocery chain quietly installed surveillance software in certain stores

The company limited the collection of facial recognition information to employees when it started a security pilot program in its New York City stores in 2024.

Erie County lawmakers are weighing possible changes to local law after a Wegmans store in New York City posted signs alerting customers that biometric data may be used, prompting new questions about transparency in Western New York.

On Monday, Wegmans acknowledged using facial recognition technology in a "small fraction" of its stores, the company said in a statement. The technology helps identify shoppers previously flagged for misconduct.

Wegmans allegedly uses facial recognition to scan its customers, sparking viral privacy concerns and legislative pushback over biometric data collection.

As the grocery chain faces scrutiny in New York for storing customers’ biometric data, Wegmans won’t say if any stores in Maryland are in the “small fraction” of locations

The Department of Homeland Security is proposing a sweeping expansion of how biometric data is collected and used in immigration cases.