Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Wegmans defends use of facial recognition at NYC stores, citing 'elevated risk’
By
Liam Quigley
Published Jan 5, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Getty Images
By
Liam Quigley
Published Jan 5, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A spokesperson for Wegmans defended the use of facial recognition at its Brooklyn and Manhattan locations, saying the popular supermarket chain only deploys the technology on a “case-by-case basis” at stores with “elevated risk.”
The new statement from Wegmans came after a Gothamist report on new signage at the entrance to the store at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Some customers, as well as local and state legislators, said they were alarmed by the practice.
“Like many retailers, we use cameras to help identify individuals who pose a risk to our people, customers, or operation. In a small fraction of our stores that exhibit an elevated risk, we have deployed cameras equipped with facial recognition technology,” Wegmans spokesperson Deana Percassi said in an email. “In New York City, we comply with local requirements by posting the mandated signage to notify customers about the technology.”
The supermarket’s facial recognition system is used to identify people who “have been previously flagged for misconduct,” the spokesperson said.
“Persons of interest are determined by our asset protection team based on incidents occurring on our property and on a case-by-case basis, on information from law enforcement for criminal or missing persons cases. We do not share facial recognition scan data with any third party,” the spokesperson said.
A sign at the Navy Yard location of Wegmans.
Liam Quigley
Signage at the Wegmans locations in the city noted the stores collect “biometric identifier information” that may include facial recognition, eye scans and voiceprints.
But Percassi said in the statement that Wegmans does not collect retinal scans or voice prints, and that images and videos are retained only as long as they are needed for security purposes.
“Our goal is simple - to keep our stores safe and secure,” she wrote.
For years, NYPD officers have been regularly posted at the Navy Yard location. The NYPD did not immediately respond to questions about theft at the New York City locations.
Following Gothamist’s report, Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart wrote a letter to Colleen Wegman, the president of the Rochester-headquartered grocery chain, asking if Wegmans is also collecting data outside of New York City.
“Biometric data is uniquely sensitive. Unlike other consumer data, it cannot be changed if misused, misidentified, or improperly shared,” Barnhart wrote in her Jan. 4 letter to Wegmans.
“Wegmans has built its brand on trust and community connection. That trust depends on transparency that meets people where they are — not disclosures they discover only because a city law forces the issue.”
Barnhart said that while Wegmans is a beloved part of the Rochester community, it is also a corporation that must be held accountable.
In New York City, Councilmember Shahana Hanif has sponsored legislation to ban the collection of biometric data by stores entirely. Fairway supermarkets have employed similar practices, and Madison Square Garden has used facial recognition to eject unwanted patrons.
“Biometric data should not be collected, stored, or sold by private actors—it poses a serious threat to our civil liberties,” she said. “I’m reintroducing this bill and I am hopeful it will move forward in the new session.”
Tagged
new york city
public safety
Liam Quigley
Liam Quigley is a reporter covering parks & sanitation for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who knew her said she was an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .