UK policing minister Sarah Jones says the government will introduce legal rules governing live facial recognition (LFR), setting out principles and limits for how police can use the technology. LFR scans faces in real time and compares them with police databases, which include missing people and wanted individuals.
The announcement follows a public consultation that concluded earlier this year. Jones told the BBC that people generally support using the system to fight crime but want stronger assurances on privacy and safety. She said it should be used proportionately and based on intelligence, with oversight. As an example, she said an outstanding parking fine should not be grounds for using facial recognition.
The Metropolitan Police says LFR cameras have contributed to more than 3,000 arrests over the past two years. The system is typically operated from mobile vans, while plans include adding fixed cameras in parts of London’s West End and Soho.
Police say each potential match is checked by a person and that data is immediately deleted when the system finds no match. Officers are advised to publicise LFR deployments online, except where there is a critical threat.
Privacy campaigners have objected to the technology’s expansion. Big Brother Watch has called the use of fixed cameras an alarming escalation, arguing that the system scans large numbers of people who are not suspected of wrongdoing. The group’s senior legal and policy officer, Jasleen Chaggar, described LFR as indiscriminate and said the government had taken more than six months to respond to public objections while its use spread to transport hubs and shops.
Sources: TechRadar.