The Pokémon Company has announced it will introduce facial recognition technology at five Japanese pop-up stores selling its trading card game, in the latest move to combat rampant scalping and the black market that has grown around the increasingly valuable cards. The measure, which will apply to customers of elementary-school age and above, follows an earlier decision to require government-issued ID for card purchases in Japan, and reflects mounting concern from a company keen to protect both its family-friendly image and its customers amid a wave of card-related robberies and violence.

The system, first being used for the Japanese launch of the Rayquaza-themed Storm Emeralda set, is designed to stop individuals revisiting stores or making repeat purchases; anyone the system flags will be denied entry, and those who refuse to be scanned will not be allowed in at all, though customers can leave and re-enter for reasons such as using the bathroom if they notify staff first. Young children may still enter under a guardian's supervision, and facial data is said to be deleted after an unspecified period. The Pokémon Company's broader privacy policy allows it to collect a wide range of personal data, including photographs, email addresses, and identification numbers, though it does not explicitly say this is used against scalpers. The announcement comes months after a Pokémon Center employee was killed by an alleged stalker in March, with that store set to reopen in August; there is no indication these measures will be extended beyond Japan.