The BBC reported on the police’s deployment of live facial recognition in central London over two days in the build-up to Christmas.
Our director Silkie Carlo said:
“The police’s use of this authoritarian surveillance tool in total absence of a legal or democratic basis is alarming. Live facial recognition is a form of mass surveillance that, if allowed to continue, will turn members of the public into walking ID cards”
“As with all mass surveillance tools, it is the general public who suffer more than criminals. The fact that it has been utterly useless so far shows what a terrible waste of police time and public money it is. It is well overdue that police drop this dangerous and lawless technology.”
BBC News: Central London in facial recognition trial
The Telegraph: Christmas shoppers to be targeted by facial recognition technology in London’s West End
Daily Mail: London police will be using facial recognition cameras on Christmas shoppers in Soho and Piccadilly Circus
Metro: Met to trial facial recognition despite 98% failure rate
CNBC: Facial recognition tech deployed by London’s Met Police in new trial
ArsTechnica: Central Londoners to be subjected to facial recognition test this week
Euronews: Police to test live facial recognition technology in central London