Police widening use of live facial scanning with no clear legal grounds – peers

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Police use of live facial recognition surveillance is being expanded with out clear legal grounds, peers have warned.

The Lords’ Justice and Home Affairs Committee has known as into query the lawfulness of the deployment of the know-how by forces throughout England and Wales.

In a letter to Home Secretary James Cleverly printed on Saturday, the committee has known as for tightened regulation and impartial scrutiny of how the tools is used.

Live facial recognition (LFR) cameras are utilized by police in some areas to analyse the faces of passersby and seek for particular individuals.

The committee mentioned it acknowledged the know-how could also be a invaluable software in catching criminals however that it was “deeply concerned that its use is being expanded without proper scrutiny and accountability”.

There are “no rigorous standards or systems of regulation” in place for the deployment of LFR and “no consistency” in approaches to coaching officers in its use, peers mentioned.

Baroness Hamwee, chairwoman of the committee, mentioned: “Does the use of LFR have a basis in law? Is it actually legal? It is essential that the public trusts LFR and how it is used.

“It is fundamental that the legal basis is clear. Current regulation is not sufficient. Oversight is inadequate.

“Technology is developing so fast that regulation must be future-proofed. Police forces may soon be able to link LFR cameras to trawl large populations, such as Greater London, and not just specific localities.

“We are an outlier as a democratic state in the speed at which we are applying this technology. We question why there is such disparity between the approach in England and Wales and other democratic states in the regulation of LFR.”

Privacy campaigners and politicians have beforehand known as for police to cease utilizing facial scanning know-how, citing issues over human rights and potential for discrimination.

Civil liberties group Big Brother Watch has branded the software “Orwellian” and steered that any widening of its use would lack a clear democratic mandate.

But the Government final yr introduced it was contemplating increasing its use of the surveillance throughout forces and safety businesses.

The Home Office argues that the know-how frees up officers to spend extra outing on the beat and dealing on complicated investigations.

A Government spokesperson mentioned: “Facial recognition, including live facial recognition, is a powerful tool that has a sound legal basis, confirmed by the courts. It has already helped the police to catch a large number of serious criminals, including for murder and sexual offences.

“The police can only use facial recognition for a policing purpose, where necessary, proportionate and fair, in line with data protection and human rights laws.”

The National Police Chiefs’ Council mentioned it welcomed the committee’s scrutiny and would contemplate its suggestions, however that LFR is all the time used “proportionately and transparently”.

Individual chief constables are additionally held to account by their police and crime commissioners and mayors who look at operational choices on LFR, the council added.

NPCC lead for facial recognition and the Metropolitan Police’s director of intelligence Lindsey Chiswick mentioned: “The High Court and the Court of Appeal have previously recognised the existing legal basis for the police to use (LFR) technology – namely under common law in the UK.

“LFR is a tool which helps police to identify wanted individuals and it is always used proportionately and transparently, with communities told when it will be deployed.”