Ensuring Security in Speed: Mashgin AI Self-Checkout Passes GDPR Audit

If someone ran past me hollering that they’d just encountered a magical checkout machine at the local gas station, I’d like to think I’m not so gullible that I’d believe them. Yet, to hear of a real-life, super powerful artificial intelligence with vision so fast and so advanced that it could instantaneously pick out the tiniest differences between multiple objects on a three-dimensional checkout plane? Even though in our modern days of mega-mind large language models and GPTs, an AI differentiating between thousands of items in seconds seems like something straight out of science fiction, this “magic checkout” isn’t point-of-sale make-believe.

In thousands of convenience stores, stadiums, and dining operations across the U.S. and Europe, Mashgin's AI-powered self-checkout uses next-generation computer vision to ring up items for sale visually with computers, cameras, and code, all at the same time, too. No need for smoke and mirrors or somebody to scan barcodes one by one, either. As Mashgin’s AI self-checkout becomes available in more locations across Europe, our original quest now expands beyond vanquishing lines, with our blink-and-you’ll-miss-it transaction speeds, to also being outstanding stewards of your and your customers’ data. Mashgin is not just a scrappy start-up with a drive to test the limits of the stopwatch for its transaction speeds, but also a mature, security- and compliance-focused partner for retailers who want to stay compliant, keep security and data protection risks to a minimum, and be among the first to adopt the benefits of artificial intelligence in retail with the most technologically-advanced computer vision self-checkout on the market - Mashgin.

Now, hit the rewind button for a moment until May 2018, when the new General Data Protection Regulation, or the “GDPR”, came into legal force across most of Europe. Even U.S. companies in Europe have to follow its rules to play ball! The GDPR, as a regulation under E.U. law, requires full adoption by all member countries, and is also in force elsewhere in Europe as well, such as the U.K. and Norway, and even Liechtenstein! The GDPR is serious business regarding data protection, and, under E.U. law, any data that can directly or even indirectly identify a real, breathing person from the E.U. is covered and comes with a whole host of data protection requirements. The GDPR also has teeth, and fines levied against companies for not heeding the data protection law of the land are reaching new heights, like the over-one-billion-euro fine for Meta. These fines go as high as a whopping 4% of your worldwide revenues if you’re severely out of compliance with the GDPR.

That’s why, for risk-averse retailers who want to upgrade their self-checkout line-up to gain an edge on slow-moving competition and knock out lines for good to speed their customers on through, being able to navigate these regulatory hurdles with a technology partner like Mashgin, who’s fully compliant with this intricate web of data protection regulation, makes the difference between having a competitor’s shiny proof-of-concept device that never ends up leaving the demo room floor and a successful Mashgin AI self-checkout implementation across even thousands of locations - with a dependable, compliant partner like us instead of a liability.

Here at Mashgin, we take compliance, security, and data protection seriously, and we’ve finished establishing a robust and dedicated GDPR program. I’m happy to announce that Mashgin has also just completed a thorough GDPR compliance audit, led by our auditor, Dansa, D’arata, Soucia, themselves certified public accountants as well as top-notch cybersecurity and audit professionals. 

With Mashgin, you’ll know that your and your customers’ data is safe and that you’re able to offer a state-of-the-art, fast, and memorable checkout experience for your customers while also not running afoul of regulators. Even for retailers with no presence in Europe at all, data protection regulation is on the rise on this side of the pond, too, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, the “CCPA”, or Law 25 in Canada and Quebec. Fortunately, the E.U.’s GDPR is often seen as the gold standard for data protection laws, and Mashgin’s successful audit is a strong indicator of our preparedness to be responsible partners as your AI self-checkout solution.

After all, our mission here at Mashgin is to enable your customers to pay and be on their way, and we’re dedicated to solving the red tape so you can focus on speeding up your transactions with Mashgin. If you’d like to learn more about how Mashgin’s self-checkout technology can speed things up in your stores, concessions locations, or dining operation, please drop us a line at sales@mashgin.com, or write to us at privacy@mashgin.com to learn more about our GDPR program.