Domain Audit — Tesco

Enterprise Technology Stack & Vendor Relationships

Tesco opened three GetGo autonomous checkout-free stores in London and Birmingham (High Holborn, Chiswell Street, Aston) using Trigo’s computer vision technology ¹. Tesco made a strategic investment in Trigo in 2019, establishing the relationship that enabled this deployment ². Trigo maintains its development centre in Tel Aviv, Israel, employing approximately 200 people ¹. The partnership remained active as of November 2022, with Trigo raising $100 million in 2023 and expanding to other European retailers including REWE, Aldi, and Netto ².

No public evidence identified for direct procurement relationships between Tesco and Check Point, Palo Alto Networks, Wiz, SentinelOne, CyberArk, Nice, Verint, or Claroty. No public evidence identified for specific systems integrators or IT outsourcing partners engaged by Tesco that have deployed Israeli-origin technology in Tesco engagements.

Surveillance, Biometrics & Retail Technology

Trigo’s technology enables frictionless checkout by using computer vision to identify customers and track items they pick up ¹. The system identifies individuals and their movements throughout the store, which constitutes biometric processing tied to Tesco’s operations ¹.

Tesco conducted a 10-week trial (launched January 2026) of Auror’s crime reporting platform across 40 stores in Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire ³. The system uses retrospective facial recognition on still images captured from CCTV footage to identify suspected shoplifters ⁴⁵. Tesco explicitly stated the system does NOT use live facial recognition ³. The trial is operated by Tesco Security Hub in Daventry ³.

Tesco installed digital signage screens with face detection technology at approximately 450 petrol stations in 2013 using Quividi software ⁶. The OptimEyes system detected customer gender and age for targeted advertising ⁶. Tesco described this as “face detection” rather than facial recognition ⁶.

No public evidence identified of indirect deployment of surveillance or biometric technology via managed security services or bundled enterprise suites.

Cloud Infrastructure, Data Residency & Sovereign Cloud Participation

AWS, Google Cloud, Oracle, and Microsoft all operate data centre regions in the Tel Aviv and Jerusalem areas of Israel ⁷. Tesco uses AWS and Google Cloud globally for its infrastructure ⁷. No public evidence identified specifically tying Tesco’s data processing to Israeli data centre regions.

No direct evidence identified connecting Tesco to Project Nimbus, the Israeli government $1.2 billion cloud contract awarded to AWS and Google in April 2021 ⁸. While Tesco uses AWS and Google Cloud generally, no evidence confirms Tesco provides services to, or contracts through, Project Nimbus infrastructure ⁸. No public evidence identified confirming Tesco provides services explicitly marketed to ensure digital sovereignty, data residency, or infrastructure resilience for Israeli state institutions or military bodies.

Defence, Intelligence & Security Sector Technology Relationships

No public evidence identified for verified contracts, partnerships, or service agreements between Tesco and the Israeli Ministry of Defence, Israel Defence Forces, intelligence agencies, or other state security bodies. No public evidence identified for instances where Tesco’s commercially available technology has been publicly reported as being deployed for military, intelligence, or law enforcement surveillance applications within Israel or occupied territories. No public evidence identified for verified development, sale, licensing, or maintenance of offensive cyber capabilities, zero-day exploit tools, or digital weapons systems by Tesco.

AI, Algorithmic & Autonomous Systems

No public evidence identified for verified provision of AI, machine learning, computer vision, or autonomous decision-support systems by Tesco to Israeli state, military, or security bodies. No public evidence identified for publicly reported instances where Tesco’s AI models or platforms have been trained on, or provided access to, civilian population data, intercepted communications, or surveillance-derived datasets originating from Israel or occupied territories. No public evidence identified for provision of autonomous target generation, automated threat detection, or autonomous tracking systems by Tesco to Israeli military or security forces.

Technology Ecosystem & R&D Footprint

Tesco’s strategic investment in Trigo (Israeli-origin company) in 2019 represents the only identified investment in Israeli technology ². No acquisitions of Israeli-origin technology companies by Tesco were identified. No public evidence identified for research and development facilities, engineering offices, innovation labs, or accelerator programmes operated by Tesco within Israel. No public evidence identified for significant patent portfolios, licensing agreements, or co-development arrangements between Tesco and Israeli-domiciled entities or research institutions including the Technion, Hebrew University, or Weizmann Institute.

Civil Society Scrutiny & Regulatory History

The Who Profits database confirms Mehadrin products “are marketed in Europe through Tesco” and documents Mehadrin’s operations in illegal West Bank settlements including Beka’ot, Tomer, Na’aran, and Netiv Hagdud ⁹. Mehadrin mislabels settlement produce as “Produce of Israel” to avoid EU import duties ⁹. The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians issued a legal notice in October 2024 to Tesco and seven other UK supermarkets threatening legal action for selling settlement products, citing Mehadrin as a key supplier ¹⁰. Tesco’s supply relationship with Mehadrin constitutes the most significant identified link to Israeli settlement activity ⁹¹¹.

No specific Tesco entries were identified in the UN OHCHR business and human rights in occupied territories database ⁹. The database appears focused on companies directly operating in settlements rather than retail purchasers of settlement products.

Tesco has been subject to boycott campaigns. In 2025, Tesco suspended a worker in County Down, Northern Ireland for refusing to handle Israeli products; BDS Belfast organized protests and a petition received thousands of signatures ¹². The worker was later reinstated ¹². The Palestine Solidarity Campaign has called for boycotts of Barclays due to Barclays’ financing of arms companies supplying Israel ¹².

Tesco donated approximately £700,000 to the British Red Cross Disaster Fund in 2023 for the “humanitarian crisis in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory” ¹³.

Barclays completed the acquisition of Tesco’s retail banking business in November 2024 for £600 million ¹⁴. Tesco Bank now operates under the Barclays brand ¹⁴. The PSC boycott of Barclays extends to Tesco Bank customers due to Barclays’ documented arms financing ¹².

No public evidence identified for Tesco board members, senior executives, or controlling principals with disclosed ties to Israeli defense, intelligence, or surveillance firms including Unit 8200, Talpiot, NSO, or Palantir-Israel. No public evidence identified for Tesco operating stores, subsidiaries, or franchises within internationally recognized occupied territories including the West Bank, East Jerusalem, or Golan Heights.

End Notes