At Lidl, you can now have your face scanned and find out which mixture of fruit and vegetables suits you best.
What sounds funny could be questionable.
Neckarsulm - Have you ever heard of "Omüse"?
Not?
Then you have to go to a newly created Lidl website.
"Omüse" is the latest craze at the discounter.
If you type in the URL
ar.lidl.com/de
on your smartphone - and that only works on a mobile device - you will be taken to a page that will scan your face.
With this innovation allegedly based on artificial intelligence - rival Aldi also came up with something new at the checkout - Lidl wants to find out which omüse - a mixture of fruit and vegetables - suits you best.
To do this, software measures the face, counts eyelashes and analyzes the cheekbones.
Finally, it is listed which omüse should match the individual face of the user.
That sounds like a brightener after the shocking news about a letter bomb in the Lidl headquarters.
Lidl introduces face recognition - for "Omüse"
Examples of identified owls are a "papricujaree" (paprika, passion fruit, leek) or a "bohbroccanas" (beans, broccoli, pineapple).
Users also report on Instagram about their personal results, such as a “rubarot” (rocket, banana, carrot).
In order to display the perfect mix of vitamins, the small website needs access to the front camera of the cell phone. Two ticks must be set: to read the data protection information and to consent to the processing of personal data.
Omüse scan at Lidl: Funny gimmick or serious ulterior motive?
Lidl writes that this innovation reveals “in a simple and entertaining way” “which fruit and vegetable combination your perfect vitamin mix is in”, but you cannot get rid of the suspicion that the discounter is pursuing other goals with the gimmick.
Maybe it's just a publicity stunt.
In fact, there are many enthusiastic users on Lidl's Facebook page who are amused by the “Omüse scan”, but there are also critical voices.
“Sure, I'll have my face scanned at Lidl.
That's a bit too much of a good thing, ”writes one user.
Another user scoffs at "absolutely pointless advertising".
Lidl: data protection concerns with new face recognition
The concerns do not appear to be unfounded.
The
food
newspaper suspects that Lidl, which may have recalled carcinogenic sesame products last year, could receive data on the attitude of the young target group on the subject of data protection.
The fact that you have to confirm that you have read the data protection information and that personal data can be processed to use it leaves a bad taste.
The situation is likely to be similar with the Lidl Plus app, which the discounter launched last year.
Lidl may also have had to recall carcinogenic sesame products last year.
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(mt)