"Law-abiding citizens have nothing to fear from the police's increased reliance on mounted cameras, said the Home Office minister, Sarah Jones, last month, after a high court challenge brought on human rights and privacy grounds failed. The use of AI-powered identification software, made by the Japanese company NEC, only locates specifically wanted people, she added."
"The biometrics watchdog for England and Wales, Prof William Webster, and his equivalent in Scotland, Dr Brian Plastow, both believe that the Information Commissioner's Office is not up to the job of monitoring this kind of data use, and that a new regulator and rules are needed."
"It is not hard to see why, from the police's point of view, the ability to match the faces of passersby with those stored on a database of suspects is very handy. The warnings carried in last weekend's Guardian exclusive regarding weak oversight and misuse of these systems are a reminder of other priorities."
Live facial recognition technology is being promoted by UK authorities as a crime-fighting tool, with government officials claiming it poses no threat to law-abiding citizens. The Metropolitan Police and London's mayor support pilot schemes using AI-powered identification software. However, biometrics experts argue that current oversight mechanisms are inadequate. The Information Commissioner's Office lacks sufficient authority to monitor such data use, and both England's and Scotland's biometrics watchdogs believe new regulatory frameworks and dedicated oversight bodies are necessary. Concerns about weak oversight and potential misuse of these systems highlight the need for stronger safeguards alongside law enforcement benefits.
#facial-recognition-technology #privacy-and-surveillance #regulatory-oversight #law-enforcement #biometric-data
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]