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Sheffield Wednesday fans have criticised the club over alleged plans to introduce facial recognition technology at Hillsborough this season, labelling the move a “potential infringement of supporters’ rights”.
In an open letter to Sheffield Wednesday’s Data Protection Officer, the Trust said that it was “deeply concerned” to learn that the club “may be intending to deploy facial recognition technology (“FRT”) at home fixtures at Hillsborough”, having learned about the plan “from SAG (Safety Advisory Group) meeting minutes obtained by an FOI request”.
“The use of FRT raises significant legal, regulatory and ethical concerns. It is vital, therefore, that Sheffield Wednesday is transparent with fans regarding any planned deployment of this technology ahead of time,” added the statement.
In addition, a post including the statement on X added that the Trust was “appalled that the club has prioritised spending money on this while failing to carry out essential North Stand repairs”, with the stand having closed on 29 July amid the club’s ongoing financial difficulties.
The statement continued with a set of “fundamental questions” that it believes the club should answer publicly, requesting that answers are provided “no later than 5pm on 8 August 2025” ahead of the club’s opening match of the Championship season two days later.
The relevant questions included queries on “what type of FRT framework” the club intends to use, the intended outcome of the use of the technology and who proposed its use and when, as well as relevant GDPR concerns.
With the club currently under transfer embargo due on ongoing financial complications, the statement also questioned how much the club has “spent on exploring the deployment of FRT to date”, as well as “how costs incurred to date [have] been funded”.
The Independent has contacted Sheffield Wednesday to request a comment.
The Owls begin their Championship campaign this weekend against Leicester, though it has been a tumultuous build-up to their opener with players releasing a statement expressing concern at the lack of clarity around the club’s financial situation and fans planning a protest against club owner Dejphon Chansiri at the King Power Stadium.