Bunnings Australia released a shocking CCTV compilation of violent attacks on staff after facing backlash over facial recognition use.
Bunnings Australia have released a frightening CCTV compilation of some of the worst attacks their staff members have had to endure after they were slammed for using facial recognition technology.
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) announced today Bunnings had breached the rights of shoppers by collecting their personal and sensitive information through a facial recognition technology system.
In its defence they have since launched grim footage of assaults on their staff.
“Across the retail sector, abuse, threats and assaults in stores continue to rise, with a 50% increase at Bunnings last year alone,” Bunnings Australia managing director Mike Schneider said.
In the footage, workers were seen being harassed by nude shoppers, were threatened with guns and knives, and while some staff were seen getting punched in the face or had items hurled at them.
Bunnings Australia has released a frightening CCTV compilation of assaults staff members have received over the years, including employees who had knives and guns waved in their faces and a naked man walking around.
In one incident, a naked man with a dog can be seen going behind the till before appearing to chase an employee and attempting to touch them.
Another showed a man holding up a knife to a staff member’s throat in a Victoria store, while in one incident a man threatened an employee with a hammer.
In an incident earlier this year, a customer was filmed grabbing a member of staff by the shirt and punching him in the face before walking away.
One frightening moment in 2017 caught on camera captured the moment a man walked into a NSW Bunnings with a gun.
Another customer was also seen grabbing a female employee by the shirt and shoving her before throwing an item at her head as other staff members circled around the man to try and protect their colleague.
The facial recognition technology trial was rolled out in 63 stores around Victoria and NSW between November 2018 and November 2021.
This is the moment a man entered a Bunnings store in Australia and held a knife to a staff member's throat.
The system scanned hundreds of thousands of individuals who entered the stores.
It was ruled the system was unlawful and that the technology was not justifiable, with the investigation finding it too “intrusive”.
“In this instance, deploying facial recognition technology was the most intrusive option, disproportionately interfering with the privacy of everyone who entered its stores, not just high-risk individuals,” Commissioner Kind said in a statement on Tuesday.
Bunnings defended themselves, announcing it would review the findings and argued the only reason for the use of the technology was to protect workers, customers and suppliers from the “ongoing and increasing exposure to violent and organised crime” and anti-social behaviour.
Bunnings Australia Managing Director said: “We know that some 70% of incidents are caused by the same group of people. While we can physically ban them from our stores, with thousands of daily visitors, it is virtually impossible to enforce these bans.
A member of the public was also caught on camera grabbing a female Bunnings employee by the shirt before shoving her and throwing a basket at her head.
“Facial recognition technology provided the fastest and most accurate way of identifying these individuals and quickly removing them from our stores.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe at work. No one should have to come to work and face verbal abuse, threats, physical violence or have weapons pulled on them.”
