For some time Bill Mew, our principle consultant, has been calling for the responsible use of Facial Recogition technologies and their effective regulation. Other mainstream voices have called for the right governance and regulation of Facial Recogition Software (FRS) as well as judicial supervision of its use.

In this interview he highlights some of the main issues here:

In the past the government has shied away from introducing ID cards because there is no public support. Using facial recogition on a widespread basis without a mandate from the public would be controvercial. Even its limited use in trials is of concern to some. In effect your face would become your ID card and it would have the effect of introducing ID cards without any real public consent or parliamentary mandate.

The U.K. government has not yet passed any new regulations specific to law enforcement’s use of FRS; instead, law enforcement relies on existing codes of conduct while Parliament and the London municipal government attempt to formulate new policies.

My own concerns are reflected by none other than Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham herself – see Blog: facial recognition technology and law enforcement.

Indeed the ICO has launched an inquiry after expressing “significant concern” over the legality and effectiveness of the technology – see this article.