Choosing responsible recognition over surveillance

See how Auror’s privacy-first approach to facial recognition helps retailers prevent violence and protect privacy, without the risks and complexity of legacy surveillance systems.

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Two different approaches to recognition

Both Auror and Facewatch are working to make retail environments safer through facial recognition. However, with Auror, recognition is applied responsibly, transparently, and linked directly with the Auror retail crime intelligence platform retailers already know and trust. This creates one secure end-to-end workflow for creating, managing, detecting, and alerting on high-risk POIs across your store network.

Auror Subject Recognition
Facewatch
Platform type
Integrated retail crime intelligence platform combining incident reporting, analytics, and alerts.
Stand-alone facial recognition alerting service.
Privacy approach
Privacy-by-design: High accuracy, no automated decision making (human-in-the-loop for key decisions), clear audit trails. Validated through Data Protection Impact Assessments.  Retailers retain control over their own data and watchlists.
Assumes data controllership over customer data - retailers lose control over their data which is shared with other retailers via a shared national database. Previously found to be non-compliant by ICO, required to implement a significant number of remediation measures.
Primary use
Prevent violent and repeat offending by leveraging rich crime intelligence data, improving store team and customer safety.
Real-time alerts when known offenders enter subscribed stores.
Compliance record
Clean, pre-validated, operates under independent Privacy Impact Assessments.
Regulatory oversight following ICO findings, now operating under tightened controls
Retail fit
Enterprise-grade, scalable, seamless platform integration provides value from day one.
UK-focused, primarily suited to smaller retail networks seeking plug-and-play alerts


Facewatch helped establish facial recognition in UK retail and demonstrated that technology can deter theft and antisocial behaviour. Its shared database approach assumes data controllership over customer data, causing retailers to lose control over their. Data is shared with other retailers via a shared national database. As retailers scale responsibly and face increasing scrutiny around data use and compliance, deeper expectations around privacy and security have evolved.

Enter Auror Subject Recognition: the next generation of privacy-led crime prevention.

Platform type
Auror Subject Recognition
Integrated retail crime intelligence platform combining incident reporting, analytics, and alerts
Facewatch
Stand-alone facial recognition alerting service
Privacy approach
Auror Subject Recognition
Privacy-by-design: no biometric data stored within the retailer’s information in Auror, human verification required, independent privacy assessments
Facewatch
Shared national database, compliant under UK Surveillance Camera Code but previously found in breach by the ICO
Deployment model
Auror Subject Recognition
Hybrid (on-prem + cloud) using existing cameras, minimal setup
Facewatch
Cloud-only SaaS model relying on centralized watchlist and networked subscribers
Primary use
Auror Subject Recognition
Prevent violent and repeat offending while integrating detections into incident management
Facewatch
Real-time alerts when known offenders enter subscribed stores
Compliance record
Auror Subject Recognition
Clean, pre-validated, operates under independent Privacy Impact Assessments
Facewatch
Regulatory oversight following ICO findings, now operating under tightened controls
Retail fit
Auror Subject Recognition
Enterprise-grade, scalable, integrated with police collaboration and analytics
Facewatch
UK-focused, primarily suited to smaller retail networks seeking plug-and-play alerts

Acknowledging Facewatch’s Role

Facewatch helped establish facial recognition in UK retail and demonstrated that technology can deter theft and antisocial behavior. Its shared database approach delivers rapid alerts across participating stores, making it simple for frontline teams to act fast.But as retailers scale responsibly and face increasing scrutiny around data use and compliance, the expectations have evolved.

Enter Responsible Recognition, the next generation of privacy-led crime prevention.

Why retailers choose Auror

Audit-ready outcomes, proven ROI.

Events are used to identify and verify POIs, and detections generate real-time, human‑verified alerts that teams can act on. Every enrolment and detection is fully auditable with a robust, immutable trail across users and systems, so you can record outcomes consistently, quantify preventions, and prove ROI with confidence.
Auror advantage: Privacy-first, audit-ready prevention platform.

Facewatch: Focused solely on alerting and lacks integrated intelligence or follow-up capabilities.

Privacy by design

Auror was built from day one to ensure recognition is used only for safety, not for surveillance or marketing. No biometric data is stored, every alert requires human verification, and all detections are fully auditable.
Auror advantage: Independent privacy audits and human-in-the-loop governance ensure compliance with GDPR and beyond.

Facewatch: Operates within compliance codes but relies on a centralized offender database that has faced prior ICO review and public skepticism.

One platform, one workflow

Auror integrates Subject Recognition with its broader crime intelligence ecosystem: incident reporting, analytics, and law enforcement collaboration. Teams manage everything from one secure dashboard rather than switching between systems.
Auror advantage: A unified experience that reduces manual effort and improves data accuracy.

Facewatch: A single-purpose tool requiring separate systems for incident reporting and investigation.

Easy deployment and fast ROI

Auror leverages a retailer’s existing camera network (minimum specs required), adding only a small on-site workstation for local processing. Setup takes days, not weeks, and delivers immediate value once enabled.
Auror advantage: Seamless integration, immediate value, all biometric processing takes place locally on-prem.

Facewatch: Cloud-only setup with dependency on external servers and network connectivity.
80% of high-risk subjects prevented safely (based on existing Vehicle Recognition data)
High accuracy, even in poor lighting or off-angle views
Trusted by 50,000+ stores globally, including Walmart, Target, and CVS
Independent Privacy Impact Assessments in every active market

The responsible recognition difference

Where Facewatch pioneered retail facial recognition, Auror is redefining it, replacing surveillance-style monitoring with intelligent, ethical prevention. Auror helps retailers protect teams and customers while preserving trust and transparency, the foundation for sustainable safety technology.