The University of Waterloo, located in Canada, has decided to remove a series of smart vending machines from its campus after a student exposed that they were equipped with facial recognition technology. The discovery was made when a Reddit user posted a picture of an M&M-brand vending machine displaying an error code indicating the use of facial recognition software. Subsequent investigation by River Stanley, a University of Waterloo student and writer for MathNEWS, revealed that the vending machines were provided by Adaria Vending Services and manufactured by Invenda Group. Mars, the company behind M&M's, owns the vending machines.

In response to the concerns raised, Adaria Vending Services assured that the facial recognition technology in the machines cannot identify individuals and does not store any photos. They stated that the machines are fully compliant with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Invenda Group also confirmed that their technology is GDPR compliant and does not store any personally identifiable information.

Following the public scrutiny, the University of Waterloo announced that they have requested the removal of the machines from the campus and have disabled the software in the meantime. The use of facial recognition technology on college campuses has been a topic of contention globally, with examples like China monitoring students and a TikTok user alleging unfair treatment due to test-proctoring AI. In the US, student protests against facial recognition technology on college campuses have been reported, citing concerns about privacy and security.

Representatives for the University of Waterloo, Invenda Group, Adaria Vending Services, and Mars did not respond to requests for comments. The university's decision reflects the ongoing debate over the use of facial recognition technology in educational settings and the need to prioritize student privacy and safety.