FTC v. Rite Aid — Five-Year Facial Recognition Ban Consent Order
FTC · FTC v. Rite Aid Corp., No. 2:23-cv-05023 (E.D. Pa. Dec. 19, 2023)
The FTC banned Rite Aid from using facial-recognition technology in its stores for five years after finding the pharmacy chain's FRT system falsely tagged customers — disproportionately women and people of color — as shoplifters, leading to wrongful detentions and humiliations.
Technical detail
FTC v. Rite Aid Corp., No. 2:23-cv-05023 (E.D. Pa., consent order Dec. 19, 2023). Section 5 FTC Act unfairness theory: deploying FRT without reasonable accuracy, bias-mitigation, or consumer-redress safeguards is an unfair practice causing substantial consumer injury. Order: 5-year FRT ban; if Rite Aid resumes after, it must implement a comprehensive monitoring program; delete all face vectors collected; notify affected consumers.
Who is protected: Retail customers — particularly women and people of color disproportionately misidentified by FRT
Who must comply: Rite Aid Corporation and any successor or affiliated entity
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | FTC |
|---|---|
| Level | Federal |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Stronger protection |
| Effective date | 2023-12-19 |
| Citation | FTC v. Rite Aid Corp., No. 2:23-cv-05023 (E.D. Pa. Dec. 19, 2023) |
| Topics | facial recognition · biometric data · consumer protection |
| Last verified | 2026-06-17 |
| Official source | FTC: Rite Aid Banned From Using AI Facial Recognition — FTC press release ↗ |
More AI rules in FTC
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- FTC v. Amazon (Alexa) · In effect
- FTC v. NGL Labs · In effect
- FTC v. DoNotPay · In effect
- FTC v. Rytr · In effect
- FTC Operation AI Comply (Sept. 2024) · In effect
Related facial recognition rules elsewhere
- Virginia § 15.2-1723.2 (facial recognition by local law enforcement, eff. July 1, 2026) · In effect
- Ban biometric recognition in public accommodations (Ban The Scan) · Proposed / pending
- Limit facial recognition in residential buildings (Ban The Scan) · Proposed / pending
- Texas v. Google · In effect
- Lorenzano-Nunez v. Roestenberg — FR wrongful arrest (2026) · Blocked / in litigation
- Montgomery County MD Police Directive FC 0627 · In effect
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