Police Scotland urged to be more open on live facial recognition adoption

Police Scotland’s plans to adopt live facial recognition technology have sparked new debates over the implications for public trust, privacy, and civil liberties. Critics argue that the technology, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to scan and identify individuals in real time, poses a risk to policing by consent, a principle that underpins policing in democratic societies. The discussions around these concerns have been underscored by calls from rights groups to abandon the deployment of the technology.

Challenges to policing by consent

The Peelian Principles, which have guided modern policing in Scotland since the 19th century, emphasize that police derive their authority from the consent of the public rather than through force. However, the deployment of live facial recognition systems could shift the nature of this relationship, the Scotsman reports. Critics have voiced concerns that the technology may undermine public trust, with fears that surveillance could become pervasive and intrusive.

There have been further arguments that the technology’s propensity for errors, particularly in misidentifying ethnic minorities and women, could erode public confidence in law enforcement. Facial recognition technology has been available to Police Scotland on the police national database since 2014, according to a discussion held amongst Scottish ministers in 2015.

Ethical and technological concerns

In a separate report, Police Scotland has been urged to reconsider its commitment to facial recognition technology. These calls stem from growing evidence that the technology is not yet fit for widespread deployment. Ethical concerns about the potential for misuse, including the prospect of racial profiling and unwarranted surveillance, have been central to the opposition.

The Scottish government has been urged to provide a more rigorous framework for evaluating the risks and benefits of the technology before further investments are made. Angela Daly, a professor at the University of Dundee’s Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science told the Scotsman that her concerns about live facial recognition remain unaddressed.

This follows the distribution of information leaflets to all individuals in police custody who have their biometric data taken due to an arrest by the force, which commenced earlier this year. Police Scotland’s five-year digitization plan includes the use of real-time biometrics, body-worn cameras, and a range of other technologies.

Warwickshire police’s approach

Meanwhile, Warwickshire Police, in the West Midlands of England, has been showcasing how it is using technology to modernize policing, but with a different approach. At the inaugural Modern Policing Week, a nationwide initiative led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Warwickshire police discussed the role of artificial intelligence, facial recognition, and the evolving ways police forces collect, use, and store data.

Warwickshire Police, as part of this effort, launched a new mobile app that facilitates the taking of statements from victims and witnesses, as well as the recording of police powers, directly from officers’ mobile devices.

The force has also introduced video appointments as an alternative to in-person station visits. This approach enables officers to support victims and witnesses remotely while still capturing vital evidence and obtaining signed statements.

Additionally, the use of drones has also become a part of Warwickshire police’s operations. The force utilizes drones to assist in a variety of tasks, such as locating missing persons, photographing cannabis farms, conducting planned surveillance, and aiding in criminal apprehension.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  criminal ID  |  ethics  |  facial recognition  |  police  |  real-time biometrics  |  Scotland