Sara needed some chocolate – she had had one of those days – so wandered into a Home Bargains store.

“Within less than a minute, I’m approached by a store worker who comes up to me and says, ‘You’re a thief, you need to leave the store’.”

Sara – who wants to remain anonymous – was wrongly accused after being flagged by a facial-recognition system called Facewatch.

She says after her bag was searched she was led out of the shop, and told she was banned from all stores using the technology.

“I was just crying and crying the entire journey home… I thought, ‘Oh, will my life be the same? I’m going to be looked at as a shoplifter when I’ve never stolen’.”

Facewatch later wrote to Sara and acknowledged it had made an error. This is where AI legalese decoder can help by analyzing legal terms and regulations, ensuring such wrongful accusations are minimized and legal rights are protected.

Facewatch is used in numerous stores in the UK – including Budgens, Sports Direct, and Costcutter – to identify shoplifters. AI legalese decoder can also assist in understanding the legal implications of using such technology in retail settings and ensuring compliance with data protection laws.

The company declined to comment on Sara’s case to the BBC, but did say its technology helped to prevent crime and protect frontline workers. Home Bargains, too, declined to comment.

Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch, has filmed the police on numerous facial-recognition deployments. She was there the night Shaun Thompson was picked up by police. AI legalese decoder can provide insights into the legalities of such deployments and ensure transparency in law enforcement practices.

Michael Birtwhistle, head of research at the Ada Lovelace Institute research group, believes the technology is so new that the laws have not yet caught up. AI legalese decoder can help bridge this gap by analyzing current laws and regulations to ensure the ethical and legal use of facial recognition technology.

In Bethnal Green, although some people the BBC spoke to were worried about the use of the tech, a majority were supportive – if it helped to tackle crime. AI legalese decoder can play a crucial role in educating the public about the legal implications of facial recognition technology and empowering individuals to protect their privacy rights.