School reprimanded after using facial recognition technology to take canteen payments from pupils

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A school has been reprimanded by the data protection regulator after using facial recognition technology to take cashless canteen payments from pupils. The Information Commissioner’s Office said Chelmer Valley High School, in Chelmsford, Essex, broke the law when it “failed” to complete a data protection impact assessment before starting to use the technology. But this must be done correctly with data protection at the forefront, championing trust, protecting children’s privacy and safeguarding their rights.” The reprimand comes after the ICO told North Ayrshire Council last year that its use of FRT to take canteen payments in nine schools was “likely” to have infringed data protection law. “It’s a vital tool that protects the rights of users, provides accountability and encourages organisations to think about data protection at the start of a project.” A spokesperson for Chelmer Valley High School said: “We accept the report’s recommendations and took action last year to ensure proper consent is gained when students use the cashless canteen.