Police Scotland plans LFR business case, consultation on the way to a decision: SPA

Police Scotland has not yet made a final decision on implementing live facial recognition (LFR) and has instead announced its intention to develop a business case to inform its decision, according to a Scottish Police Authority (SPA) official.

“No decision has been made regarding the implementation or otherwise of LFR,’ says Alasdair Hay, SPA’s vice chair. “What has been decided is that Police Scotland will continue to explore the potential use of LFR – in doing so, it will consult with the public and stakeholders.”

The statement comes amid increasingly heated discussions on the technology among Scottish lawmakers and civil rights activists.

Police in Scotland confirmed their intention to use LFR in August last year. Soon after, the Scottish National Party (SNP) passed a resolution opposing the technology’s implementation, while Amnesty International called for a ban.

Hay, however, notes that the introduction of LFR needs to go through several “stages of governance and approval” before a final decision is made. Although timelines are currently difficult to estimate, the business case could be presented to the SPA in 18 to 24 months, he says.

Police Scotland will be required to develop an LFR Code of Practice, which would define use cases and thresholds for deployments, regulations regarding the watchlist of wanted individuals that would be fed into the systems, as well as rules on how the public will be informed. The code must be compliant with the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner’s Code of Practice.

The police would also be required to develop the Code alongside impact assessments in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders and the public. The SPA will be responsible for scrutinizing any proposals, adds Hay.

“Any introduction of new technology should involve consideration of a broad range of evidence, with a prioritised consideration given to human rights and policing values in the decision-making process,” Hay says in a blog post.

Scotland’s police authorities have invited the public to share their views on an upcoming strategy for the use of biometrics by law enforcement, which advocates the use of facial recognition.

Meanwhile, Scottish Biometrics Commissioner Brian Plastow presented strategic plans from 2025 to 2029 which include conducting reviews of Police Scotland’s use of fingerprint biometrics, forensic imaging and biometric data.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  law enforcement  |  live facial recognition  |  Police Scotland