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
- FTC v. Amazon (Ring) · In effect
- 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
- BIPA · In effect
- AI Video Interview Act · In effect
- New Hampshire HB 1688 (state-agency AI limits) · In effect
- Montana HB 178 (limits on government AI use) · In effect
- NYPD POST Act · In effect
- SF Facial Recognition Ban · In effect
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