A Vending Machine Error Revealed Secret Face Recognition Tech

A student Reddit post revealed that smart vending machines at the University of Waterloo attempted to run facial recognition software, triggering campus backlash and a university decision to disable and remove the devices. A subsequent student investigation highlighted vendor materials indicating collection of estimated age and gender, raising consent and privacy concerns, while vendors claimed no image storage and GDPR compliance; the episode echoes past Canadian regulatory scrutiny of covert facial recognition use.