Pokémon Stores Add Facial Recognition to Combat Card Scalping

The Pokémon Company plans to use facial-recognition checks at five temporary Pokémon Card Stores in Japan from July 31 through August 16, alongside the Storm Emerald expansion release. Customers of elementary-school age and older will be limited to one store entry or queue ticket per day at each participating location, a measure intended to reduce repeat purchases by scalpers. The pilot has prompted questions about biometric-data retention, treatment of children, system effectiveness, and whether it will extend to permanent stores.