Facial Recognition Tech Found in University M&M Vending Machines

Facial recognition software was found in vending machines in a Canada-based university after one of the machines reported an error with the program.

Reddit user u/SquidKid47 first reported the software two weeks ago on the University of Waterloo subreddit, showing an image of an M&M vending machine with an error code "Invenda.Vending.FacialRecognitionApp.exe."

Vending Machine Distributors Defend Facial Recognition Software

University publication mathNews later confirmed the presence of the recognition tech after obtaining a response from the vending machine vendor and the software company.

According to the report, machine distributor Adaria said they "do not take or store any photos or images, and an individual person cannot be identified using the technology in the machines."

Invenda, on the other hand, only locally collects "the final data," such as the presence of a person, estimated age and gender from its "demographic detection software."

Anonymized data analysis is then given to Invenda's clients. The software provider insisted that such technology complies with existing privacy laws in Canada.

The University of Waterloo, in an interview with CTV News, later said that it would remove the smart vending machines from the campus.

Facial Recognition in Vending Machines is Nothing New

While it was the first time facial recognition software in vending machines was reported in Canada, the same technology has been present in the U.S. for some time.

Electronics retailer American Green was reported in 2022 to integrate facial recognition and finger vein reader technology to verify if the customers were aged 21 and older for adult beverages.

Reports also indicated that companies had been planning to add AI software into smart vending machines to boost their facial recognition capabilities.

The difference was that the smart vending machines were declared to the public, unlike what happened with the M&M vending machines in Waterloo.