The database only has convicted thieves in their Database, so in theory they've already served their time for their crime. The problems is that they are then put on an apparently un-auditable list maintained by a private company, and discriminated against.

> The database only has convicted thieves in their Database,

From this article:

> and other potential offenders

And from this article about a different system:

> Police forces are already using face-recognition to identify people, much as they might with DNA or fingerprints.

> A national police database contains up to 18 million "custody suite" photos - hundreds of thousands could be of innocent people.

Many of those people will be those arrested for an offence, but not cautioned or tried. (To be clear here: they really didn't do the crime, not just they weren't convicted of a crime).

Thanks for the clarification. Not a point in favor of the system, though.

Wait we are talking about, data that could be easily manipulated because "I don't like him" ?

Is it in the interest of grocery stores to exclude customes without a good reason?

You're missing the largest issue. If the customer is just a dick and did nothing illegal the store owner out of spite might put him or her into the database to be flagged in every other store.

Hopefully the significant fines would keep this at bay. In all honesty kicking the store off the system would be the best way to stop it.

I see your point and you're right, this is a potential problem - mostly because networking this system would make consequences explode out of proportion. Maybe some appeal system could resolve that?

As a side note: I support the right of store owner to punish dick customers. I believe society needs to have stronger mechanisms to penalize douchy behaviour.

> As a side note: I support the right of store owner to punish dick customers. I believe society needs to have stronger mechanisms to penalize douchy behaviour.

I agree with this, but I don't believe that a store ought to be able to farm out this punishment to every other retailer that subscribes to this system.

If a customer is being a dick, bar him from your establishment; don't subscribe them to be discriminated against and harassed everywhere else.

I totally agree with you. Banning a bad customer from your store is one thing, banning them from all other (subscribed) stores as well is way too much.

No, but their idea of a good reason might be "they're middle-eastern", "they're black", "they're old", "they're young".