Cybersecurity Policy Report, New Zealand Privacy Commissioner Cautions Against Sharing Images of Alleged Shoplifters, (Sep 24, 2025)

By Tony Foley

New Zealand Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster has urged retail businesses to use caution in sharing photos of possible shoplifters online or on a public “wall of shame,” emphasizing potential violations of the country’s privacy law.

In a news release yesterday, Commissioner Webster said his office had heard from retailers about the challenges they faced from shoplifters and threats to staff and customers. He added, however, that

Businesses might be tempted to share photos of possible perpetrators as a way to catch them or as a deterrent, he said, but such “blunt tool” tactics can cause harm and potentially break the law.

“We’ve almost become immune to shared grainy CCTV images and their associated accusations, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good or legal thing to do,” he said. “It’s a human reaction to see if you recognise someone shown to try and ‘solve the case.’ In a country the size of New Zealand, it might be easy to know or think you know the person and to judge them as a result, even if they’re totally innocent.”

Commissioner Webster cited examples where people were wrongly linked to a crime or an allegation of a crime, resulting in emotional harm and a risk of public shaming and violence. “The Privacy Act protects people’s personal information, which includes their image,” he said. “It seems that the practice of creating a ‘wall of shame’ is something New Zealand businesses need to be reminded has legal consequences.”

He outlined the Privacy Act requirements applicable to such activities and urged retailers to take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information was correct before sharing it, with limits on the public sharing of images of suspected shoplifters. “It’s not okay for people to be publicly shamed; it’s hurtful and a breach of their privacy. The impact on people can be huge, with children and young people especially at risk,” Commissioner Webster concluded.

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