UK Minister Promises Laws to Govern Live Facial Recognition

UK policing minister Sarah Jones says new laws will set rules for the use of live facial recognition (LFR), which scans faces in real time using police-operated cameras. The announcement follows a public consultation on the technology.

Jones told the BBC that people generally support LFR for fighting crime but want stronger assurances on safety and privacy. She said it should be used proportionately and in response to intelligence, with oversight. As an example, she said she would not expect police to use it to pursue someone with an unpaid parking fine.

The Metropolitan Police says its LFR cameras have led to more than 3,000 arrests in the past two years. The force has mainly used mobile camera vans and plans to add fixed cameras in parts of London’s West End and Soho.

Police say each possible match is checked by a person and data is deleted immediately when the system finds no match. They are advised to publicize LFR use online unless there is a “critical threat.”

Big Brother Watch has criticized the expansion to fixed cameras. The group’s senior legal and policy officer, Jasleen Chaggar, told the BBC that thousands of people had objected and criticized the government for waiting more than six months to respond. The source also reports that LFR has been deployed in transport hubs and shops across the country.