TEG Responds to Choice Campaign on Face Recognition Tech

TEG insists it doesn’t pass on any biometric data captured at Qudos Bank Arena.

The live entertainment, data and ticketing giant responds to a campaign launched Wednesday (July 5) by Choice, which claims facial recognition technology (FRT) is being deployed at stadiums and arenas across the country, with punters largely unaware.

According to Choice, its analysis of ten venues found that the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Allianz Stadium, Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and Qudos Bank Arena used FRT. The same study revealed that Accor Stadium, Marvel Stadium, Commbank Stadium and Optus Stadium didn’t rollout the controversial technology, while the status of RAC Arena and Suncorp Stadium reportedly remains unclear.

In a teaser for the campaign, Choice singled out TEG, owner of Ticketek. “We’re particularly worried about Qudos Bank Arena, owned by Ticketek’s parent company TEG – one of the biggest players in the Australian data broking space,” comments the organisation’s consumer data advocate Kate Bower.

“TEG is not clear on how and why they collect and use facial recognition data, leaving the door open for harmful selling and sharing of sensitive biometric information.”

Choice reps say the owners and operators of venues on its list aren’t being open and transparent with consumers or the media about the use of FRT, and that, when contacted for more information, “many” operators “were vague or non-responsive”.

On Wednesday afternoon, TEG responded.

“TEG does not collect biometric data at Qudos Bank Arena and ASM Global does not share any such data with TEG, its related entities, or any other third party entity,” a TEG spokesman tells The Music Network.

“Facial recognition at Qudos Bank Arena is solely utilised for security reasons to identify any persons of interest,” the TEG spokesman continues.

TEG is the lessee of the 21,000-capacity arena at the Sydney Olympic Park precinct, the largest of its kind in Australia.

ASM Global manages and operates the venue.

FRT involves the use of cameras to collect the consumers’ biometric information, or their unique “faceprint,” which is often then matched to a database, Choice explains. “Because of the unique nature of the biometric information,” a statement continues, “it is considered ‘sensitive data’ under privacy legislation.”

TEG is identified by Choice as one of the few companies to respond for its report, issuing a statement which notes that it “does not run the day-to-day operations of the venue” and “does not collect biometric data in any form across the TEG group.”

Choice is calling for reform, and for better protections for consumers at a national level.

Read more here.