A set of smart vending machines at the University of Waterloo is expected to be removed from campus after students raised privacy concerns about their software.
The machines have M&M artwork on them and sell chocolate and other candy. They are located throughout campus, including in the Modern Languages building and Hagey Hall.
Earlier this month, a student noticed an error message on one of the machines in the Modern Languages building. It appeared to indicate there was a problem with a facial recognition application.
“We wouldn’t have known if it weren’t for the application error. There’s no warning here,” said River Stanley, a fourth-year student, who investigated the machines for an article in the university publication, mathNEWS.
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Yeah, that was a great story, but an odd missed opportunity for a cyberpunk game on hidden mass surveillance. I’m thinking of NG Resonance from Deus Ex: Invisible War. I.e., it’s odd that Bredan’s a.i. was used to just sell more drinks, rather than as a mass surveillance tool. People were forming relationships with him, providing him with all sorts of personal information.