Facial Recognition Application 'Error Message' Seen on an M&M Vending Machine in Waterloo Canada

Students at the University of Waterloo in Canada were surprised to find out when a smart vending machine displayed a computer error on a screen that indicated a facial recognition feature was not working correctly. This alarmed students because they didn't know their faces and likeness were being captured by facial recognition software on vending machines in the first place.

Facial Recognition Error Message credit: SquidKid47 on Reddit

CTV reported that "a set of smart vending machines at the University of Waterloo will be removed from campus after students raised privacy concerns about their software."

Facial Recognition Software Error Message Seen on a Smart Vending Machine

They were alerted to the facial recognition software after an error message displayed on the smart vending screen (seen above) that read: "The exception unknown software exception (0xe)434352) occurred in the application at location 0x00007FFAAC4F4C48."

In fact, if it wasn't for the error message, no one would have known about the built-in facial recognition software at all.

River Stanley, a student at the University of Waterloo said:

"We wouldn't have known if it weren't for the application error. There's no warning here."

Once the facial recognition error message started circulating online, students quickly began sharing it, and some students even tried to cover a hole on the machine where they thought the camera was located.

Student Dilpreet Sandhu questioned out of privacy concerns if there are other places where this technology is being used.

She said:

"[I’m] kind of shocked just because it's a vending machine, and I don't really think they need to be taking facial recognition. It is a university campus, so I feel like the general demographic is young adult. You know, late teens, early twenties."

The Smart Vending Machines on the University of Waterloo Campus are Being Removed

The smart vending machines with facial recognition software sold chocolates and other candy and had M&M artwork on them. At least one machine was located in the Modern Languages building and another in Hagey Hall. 

CTV reported that "a set of smart vending machines at the University of Waterloo will be removed from campus after students raised privacy concerns about their software."

The better question: 

Should these machines prominently display a message informing customers that they are being photographed?

Sources:

Wiens, Colton. "Facial recognition' error message on vending machine sparks concern at University of Waterloo." CTV. 22 Feb. 2024.