UK government is expanding Live Facial Recognition technology

The United Kingdom’s Home Office has announced the rollout of 10 new Live Facial Recognition vans to seven forces across the country, equipping officers with cutting-edge technology to catch criminals.

The United Kingdom’s interior ministry promises the vans will operate according to strict rules. The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has independently tested the algorithm being used in the vans for bias. Researchers found that the algorithm is accurate, and there were no signs of bias for ethnicity, age, or gender.

In addition, the vans will only be operated in “specific circumstances and with robust oversight.” At the same time, officers will have to comply with the surveillance camera code of practice so they know how to operate the technology.

“The police have a duty to prevent crime and keep the public safe. Live Facial Recognition supports effective policing, enabling officers to locate suspects quickly and accurately. I am confident that the increased use of this technology will continue to support the safety of communities across the country moving forward,” Lindsey Chiswick, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Lead for Live Facial Recognition technology, says in a statement.

Tim Morgan, Chief Superintendent of the South Wales Police, understands the concerns that are raised about the use of Live Facial Recognition. However, he promises that the new technology will be implemented ethically and according to legislation and guidance.

“It is important to remember that use of this has never resulted in a wrongful arrest in South Wales and there have been no false alerts for several years as the technology and our understanding have evolved,” he adds.

The vans with Live Facial Recognition technology will be deployed in the coming weeks to police forces in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Surrey and Sussex, and Thames Valley and Hampshire.

Big Brother Watch, a UK civil liberties campaign group, isn’t happy with the expansion of facial recognition.

“This unprecedented escalation in the use of facial recognition technology across the UK is alarming and represents a significant expansion of the surveillance state. Live facial recognition turns every passerby into a walking barcode and treats us all as a nation of suspects,” Rebecca Vincent, Interim Director of Big Brother Watch, says in a response.

“This move is not only worrying for our privacy rights, but it is also worrying for our democracy. The Home Office must scrap its plans to roll out further live facial recognition capacity until robust legislative safeguards are established,” she continues.

Over the past year, Live Facial Recognition has already been used by the Metropolitan Police and South Wales Police. The Metropolitan Police made 580 arrests using facial recognition for offences, including rape, domestic abuse, knife crime, GBH, and robbery. Furthermore, 52 registered sex offenders were arrested for breaching their conditions.