We welcome all youth to Mall of America, however, youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older from 3 p.m. to close daily and during mall hours on Black Friday, December 26–31 and other dates as posted in advance by Mall of America.

On March 30 and 31, our Parental Escort Policy (PEP) will be in effect all day for those under 18. This means anyone 17 and under will need a chaperone that is at least 21 years old.

One adult 21 years or older may supervise up to 10 youth. During the Parental Escort hours, anyone 21 years or younger should be prepared to show a Mall of America employee one of the following forms of photo identification cards:

• United States Driver’s License card
• United States State-Issued ID card
• Resident Alien card
• Work Authorization card
• Passport or passport card
• United States Department of Defense ID card
• United States Department of Veterans Affairs ID card
• Mexican Consulate ID card
• Canadian ID card
• Tribal ID card
• MOA ID badge

No form of college or high school ID will be accepted, even if accompanied by a state driver's license permit application.

To obtain a Minnesota State Identification Card, contact your local driver exam office or driver’s license renewal office by clicking here.

At 5.6 million square feet, Mall of America’s security team cannot be everywhere at once. Facial recognition is an innovative intelligence resource to assist the security team in monitoring the Mall on a very broad scale. Security cameras integrated with facial recognition capabilities have been installed at key points throughout the property.

Facial recognition is being used at Mall of America for the sole purpose of helping to detect the presence of a person of interest (POI). POIs are individuals who are on a current trespass at Mall of America, those who may be a threat to our environment, persons identified to us by law enforcement, or individuals who are missing or may be in danger. Using one or more photos of a POI, the Mall will create and retain facial measurement data extracted from the photo(s) of the POI.

This technology does not retain any information on non-POIs.

Security is always top of mind at Mall of America, and we take it incredibly seriously. This is our home, and we protect it as such. This exceptional technology adds an important layer to our overall security program.

How does facial recognition technology work?

Photos of persons of interest (POI) are uploaded into the facial recognition system. The technology creates signatures by extracting facial measurement data—a mapping of an individual’s face. The technology monitors and works to match the faces on the video cameras with the signatures of the uploaded images. If a signature does not match an uploaded POI signature, the signature is not stored. If a signature is flagged as a potential match to a stored POI signature, the software system alerts the security team that a POI might be on property, which triggers further investigation by the security team.

What happens if someone is detected through facial recognition?

Our security team does not act on alerts alone. When the system alerts to a potential POI match, our security team conducts a thorough investigation including a “traditional” facial recognition check, with up to three layers of human visual review comparing the photo of the POI to the individual identified as a potential POI. The Mall of America security team has undergone extensive training by an internationally recognized program in “traditional” facial recognition, to learn facial morphological features from experts and how to successfully compare faces and determine whether the system alert is an accurate match. A Mall of America officer will approach a potential POI and follow our standard security procedure only after human review determines with sufficient confidence that the alert is accurate.

How are you ensuring that the technology is accurate and not biased against a specific demographic?

The software is powered by an algorithm that has undergone rigorous independent testing by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and it is by all accounts, best in class. In the DHS testing, the algorithm correctly identified individuals 99.3% of the time.

Do you keep facial measurement data on regular guests (non-POIs)?

No. This technology does not track or keep any facial measurement data on non-POIs.

Does Mall of America collect data for any other purpose, such as marketing or customer tracking?

No. Facial recognition is used at Mall of America for the sole purpose of helping our security team to detect the presence of a person of interest (POI). POIs are individuals who are on a current trespass at Mall of America, those who may be a threat to our environment, persons identified to us by law enforcement, or individuals who are missing or may be in danger.

Why is Mall of America using facial recognition?

Mall of America takes a multi-layered, industry leading approach to security. There are security resources in place that are both visible and nonvisible to guests. This includes uniform patrol, a K9 unit, bike unit, extensive surveillance, intelligence analysis, and plain clothes officers trained to detect unusual behavior. Facial recognition is another layer of security at Mall of America utilizing state-of-the-art technology to keep guests, tenants, and team members safe.

Facial recognition complements programs already in place: our security team is already on the lookout for individuals who are on a current trespass, those who may be a threat to our environment, persons identified to us by law enforcement, and individuals who are missing or may be in danger. And our security team is already trained in how to approach these individuals. Facial recognition just improves the process.

How do I find out if I am on the POI list?

To find out if you are on the Mall of America POI list, please send an email to privacy@moa.net. The requester will be required to provide proof of their identity. Once the requester's identity has been verified, they will be informed whether they are on the POI list.

Mall of America has an extensive video surveillance system that monitors our 5.6 million square foot property 24/7. Mall of America also works closely with Bloomington Police to monitor license plate reader technologies at Mall parking entrances.

The safety of our guests, tenants, and team members is our top priority. A key element of our commitment to safety is making sure everyone works together and is prepared for any situation that may arise. That is why Mall of America was the first major retail destination to practice monthly Mall-wide lockdown drills with tenants and team members.

Mall of America is continually looking for innovative ways to further enhance our security using the latest technology. As a unique property, it is important that we thoroughly evaluate technology onsite to ensure its accuracy, effectiveness, and efficiency.

There are multiple layers to MOA’s security strategy, including periodic and unannounced bag checks at Mall entrances. When bag checks are in place, all guests entering the area are required to allow official personnel the opportunity to inspect bags and belongings. Guests will also be required to open their coat and show their waistband. These entrance checkpoints will be conducted in an unintrusive, professional manner.

Mall of America opened a first-of-its kind communication hub, the Enhanced Service Portal, which integrates social media, digital media, text messaging, security, and phone operators to streamline guest service and tenant response.