The Met Police’s use of live facial recognition is unlawful – the UK’s human rights regulator believes. This will be a blow to Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police commissioner as he just defended the use of this technology at Notting Hill carnival over the bank holiday weekend.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has also revealed that it has been given permission to intervene in an ongoing legal challenge brought by Black Londoner Shaun Thompson after he was wrongfully stopped by facial recognition cameras at London Bridge last year. The challenge is being backed by privacy rights group Big Brother Watch.
Big Brother Watch’s Interim Director Rebecca Vincent said that the EHRC’s intervention is “hugely welcome”.
“The rapid proliferation of invasive live facial recognition technology without any legislation governing its use is one of the most pressing human rights concerns in the UK today. Live facial recognition surveillance turns our faces into barcodes and makes us a nation of suspects who, as we’ve seen in Shaun’s case, can be falsely accused, grossly mistreated and forced to prove our innocence to authorities,” she explained.
The Guardian – Met police’s facial recognition plans fall foul of European law, says watchdog
BBC – Human rights regulator criticises Met’s use of facial recognition cameras