Surveillance cameras are being used in shopping centres to spy on people and work out their age — and even their mood — so they can be targeted with the “correct” advertisements.
Vast digital screens are fitted with cameras that can identify the age, gender and mood of shoppers, even monitoring their behaviour to see how long they look at an ad. The screen can then display marketing for the specific audience, for instance showing a shaving-foam ad to men.
The Sunday Times has identified more than 50 such screens across the country fitted with stealth facial detection technology, including screens at Westfield in Shepherd’s Bush, west London. They claim to be able to work out a person’s age to within a five-year bracket.
Minority Report, starringTom Cruise, features face recognition technology
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