Displaying items by tag: facial recognition

The Government is preparing a major expansion of facial recognition technology across the UK, giving police access to passport and driving-licence photos to speed up the identification of offenders. The Met Police, which has already made 1,300 arrests and tracked more than 100 sex offenders using the technology over two years, says live facial recognition is a key tool for public safety. The Home Office has launched a ten-week consultation to shape new legislation after concerns about 'Big Brother Britain' and the erosion of civil liberties. Critics argue that safeguards remain inadequate, noting previous findings by the Equality and Human Rights Commission that the Met’s policies were 'unlawful'. Civil liberties groups warn of potential misuse, disproportionate surveillance, and a chilling effect at protests. Supporters insist that the technology is becoming more accurate, with strict oversight needed rather than abandonment. Police chiefs say it will help find dangerous offenders and missing people more quickly. The consultation will determine what safeguards are necessary and whether expanded use is proportionate to the harms being targeted.

The UK government is introducing a law allowing police to run facial recognition searches on a database of fifty million driving licence holders. This change, part of a new criminal justice bill, will enable the police to match images from sources like CCTV and social media with driving licence records. Privacy campaigners warn that this effectively places all UK drivers in a 'permanent police lineup' without clear limits or independent oversight. There are concerns about the lack of public debate and consultation on this significant expansion of police powers. The technology's potential for false identifications, particularly among black and Asian faces, adds to the controversy. The change also raises questions about the legitimacy and proportionality of such widespread surveillance. The Home Office maintains that Clause 21 in the bill merely clarifies police use of DVLA records but does not grant automatic access for facial recognition. However, the move comes as part of broader efforts to integrate various databases into a single system for easier image-matching.