Follow-up to the first post about Happy: their official position, response to it and questions that have arisen

Link to the original post about the case: https://www.reddit.com/r/bulgaria/comments/1rqxn90/%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8_%D0%B7%D0%B0_%D1%81%D1%8A%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B5_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%B1%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%B8_%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B8_%D0%B2_%D1%85%D0%B5%D0%BF%D0%B8/

For the last 24 hours, I have been following the articles and statements about the potential collection of biometric data at Happy/Burrata Italiana, wanting to make some very important clarifications about the original post and to ask questions of Happy regarding their official position, as well as the Boulevard Bulgaria media for their article on the case.

Notes on the original post:

1. I want to emphasize that these posts are not the result of any “orders”."as suggested by one particular media outlet mentioned above, but a desire to find the truth and protect consumers, as I am and all of you.

2. It is important to note that the photo attached to the system (from the original post) was identified by one of you as being taken specifically at the Burrata Italiana restaurant in Varna (Photo of the establishment), and the creators of this chain are the same as those of “Happy”. However, in their official statement, Happy did not mention this location at all, nor did they respond to the claims related to it.

3. The image to the original post shows captions such as “White: 11.00”, “Asian: 42.00” and “Hispanic: 4.00”. This is not an indicator of how many people of that ethnicity there are, but an artificial intelligence assessment of which ethnicity a particular customer belongs to. This is confirmed by the other indicators directly above them such as “Beard”, “mouth open”, etc.

4. I also want to mention that the user rights wiki articles have been updated in both Bulgarian and English to now include the official position of “Happy”.

– Bulgarian version: https://consumerrights.wiki/w/User:Juuns/Биометрично_наблюдение_в_Happy_Bar_%26_Grill_-_bg_translation_of_an_existing_article/

– English version: https://consumerrights.wiki/w/Happy_Bar_%26_Grill_biometric_surveillance_tool_development

1. In a communication between the author of the original wiki article and the ConsumerRights admin, it is clear that “Happy” sent a request to remove the information from the site. (https://consumerrights.wiki/w/User_talk:Keith#Regarding_a_recent_article_I_created)

Questions about “Happy”:

1. Why is Happy attacking the article that publicized this impropriety instead of refuting the public information that does not exist on their current site (but thankfully archived) and why not contact IP Biometrix if the information is wrong? It is taken from their site and is part of their portfolio.

2. Why isn’t Happy disproving the photos shown in the ConsumerRights article? The very fact that these photos exist means that the chain used the system at least once, although they deny that there was any such thing at all, which would be a violation under GDPR. If the photo is hypothetically fake, it is IP Biometrix’s responsibility because they originally posted it. (https://web.archive.org/web/20260102224149/https://ip-biometrix.com/portfolio/happy-face-recognition/)

3. What are GI Mobility Services and do they have anything to do with IP Biometrix?

4. Have you submitted a request to remove the article from the ConsumerRights site?

Questions to “Boulevard Bulgaria”:

1. Why does your article about the case use insinuations like “Happy Bar & Grill restaurant chain fell victim to fake news” and “And it appears that the chain’s refusal to use the services of a certain optimization software company is behind the story.”? The objective presentation of information is the job of the journalist, but here there are only suggestions and personal position of the site (there is no name of the journalist, the article is published on behalf of “Boulevard Bulgaria”) without any argumentation, such as the argumentation present in the original post, with which the potential irregularities in “Happy”/”Burrata Italiana” are shown.

– The article has been archived: (https://web.archive.org/web/20260313114215/https://boulevardbulgaria.bg/articles/happy-tvardeniyata-che-verigata-sledi-klientite-si-s-ai-kameri-sa-absolyutno-neverni)

1. On what basis did you identify the news as fake? What are your arguments? Did you come to this conclusion from Happy’s official position alone?

2. Don’t you think that through your grandstand and media status with these insinuations you are protecting “Happy” at the expense of consumers? Do you find your article about objective journalism?

3. Who is this “certain company” whose service was denied? Why not expose this “certain company” as malicious and shed light on this unethical practice of undermining Happy’s business? If you are referring to IP Biometrix as this “certain company”, why are you ignoring the fact that in the original post they are directly accused of being the developers of a GDPR violating solution?

4. There is a service on your site called “PR publication ready-made”. The article about “Happy" is this what it looks like?

– Link to the price list of services: https://web.archive.org/web/20260313135017/https://boulevardbulgaria.bg/rate-card.pdf

I would be grateful if we could get answers to these pressing questions.

I also want to use this post to thank the people who got behind the cause. I am very glad that so many have recognized the idea of ​​consumer rights and joined the discussion.

I am attaching important links related to the case:

Links to articles that show Happy’s position:

– https://web.archive.org/web/20260312220545/https://www.kaldata.com/it-новини/ai-камери-в-ресторантите-система-за-раз-650764.html

– https://web.archive.org/web/20260312230530/https://mobilebulgaria.com/news/izpolzva-li-happy-bar-grill-litsevo-razpoznavane-s-ai-v-restorantite-si

Link to the Boulevard Bulgaria article:

– https://web.archive.org/web/20260313114215/https://boulevardbulgaria.bg/articles/happy-tvardeniyata-che-verigata-sledi-klientite-si-s-ai-kameri-sa-absolyutno-neverni