UK CCTV watchdog issues warning to police chiefs over facial recognition tech

A CCTV watchdog has written to police chiefs to warn that the increased use of facial recognition technology risks infringing people’s privacy.

The UK Government’s independent Surveillance Camera Commissioner, Tony Porter, has written to the National Police Chiefs Council to warn that the increased use of facial recognition technology risks infringing people’s privacy.

According to a report by the EveningStandard, Porter added that “if not responsibly considered and regulated it could undermine public confidence”.

The Commissioner also called for more transparency on how the police image database is used in combination with the technology.

Back in August, the UK Biometrics Commissioner criticized the Home Office and police for failing to address key privacy issues relating to the use of facial recognition technology.

In February, the UK home secretary ordered UK police agencies to delete on request millions of images of innocent people illegally stored on the police national database.

Article Topics

biometric database  |  biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  police  |  privacy  |  UK