Iceland chairman Richard Walker has insisted he will “take the rap” for staff members who share images of shoplifters on WhatsApp, criticising “stupid” data protection laws that stop retailers posting CCTV images of thieves.
Walker called on the government to change laws making it a potential offence to share footage of shoppers caught stealing on local WhatsApp groups, The Times reported.
He explained he had told workers to share the images on high street WhatsApp groups despite the current laws.
Speaking on the Woburn Partners’ Lessons in Leadership podcast, he said: “We are fighting with one hand tied behind our backs.
“When these images are on your CCTV … it’s absolutely proven. There’s no denying. You watch someone pick something up, put it under their coat or whatever they do, and walk out or become aggressive to store staff if they’re stopped.”
He continued: “Obviously you’d like to absolutely share those images. I’ve told my colleagues to do it anyway and I take the rap if there’s a problem. It’s a stupid law.”
The supermarket executive said he wanted the law to be changed to enable images and videos to be shared, arguing: “Let’s use the tools that we’ve got to be able to fight this.”
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A spokesman for the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said: “Data protection law enables retailers to share images to prevent or detect crime as long as it’s necessary and proportionate in the circumstances.
“Retailers will need to consider the relevant privacy implications such as having a legal reason and appropriate security measures when considering publishing any images of suspected shoplifters.”
They added: “Any retailer that is using or sharing information to prevent or detect crime and isn’t sure how to do this in a compliant way, can contact us for advice or find guidance on our website.”
In July, shoplifting in England and Wales hit a 20-year high, with a total of 443,995 offences reported by police forces in the year leading up to March 2024.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), this figure was the highest since records started in March 2003.
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