Live Facial Recognition Technology – UK Lords Committee Questions Legality
Live Facial Recognition Technology has come under the scrutiny of the UK Lords Committee.
The Justice and Home Affairs Committee has been investigating the deployment of LFR by police forces. The technology compares a live video feed of faces against a predetermined watchlist of people to find a possible match. They have identified several issues.
The Committee writes that the deployment of the technology lacks a clear legal foundation. That there are no rigorous standards or systems of regulation in respect of the use of LFR. That there is no consistency in approaches to training in its use by police forces.
The Committee accepts that LFR may be a valuable tool for the police in apprehending criminals. But it is deeply concerned that its being used without proper scrutiny and accountability. The UK is being compared to a “new Wild West” of technologies developing at a pace that public awareness, government and legislation have not kept up with.
In NZ the police are not currently using Live Facial Recognition Technology but Foodstuffs are currently trialling LFR in 25 stores. Check out earlier blog Facial Recognition Trial in Supermarkets for more info.
The Privacy Commissioner in NZ has asked Foodstuffs to provide evidence that FRT is a justified measure for reducing retail crime given its privacy impacts.
Public perception is that they are significantly more trusting of Police using FRT more then private companies. Police use comes with a perceived public benefit such as disrupting of terrorists or tracking down a murderer.
Retail NZ has confirmed it supports the use of new technology to combat retail crime and that it is pleased Foodstuffs NZ North Island is taking a lead.
Trial or Business Case
The eventual results of the trial may provide Foodstuffs with a business case either for or against rolling out the technology. Yet it does not provide a meaningful gauge of public acceptance of LFR.
If you didn’t want to have your image on the LFR you could choose to shop somewhere else. What happens if it is rolled out to all supermarkets? Where would you shop? How would you shop? This should give us pause to consider LFR’s potential dystopian implications.
Taken from NZSA articles below:
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