Civil liberties NGO Big Brother Watch has demanded answers from the Home Office following publication of minutes of a closed-door meeting between the Policing Minister, Chris Philp, and facial recognition surveillance tech firm, Facewatch, which took place earlier this year.
The minutes, obtained by the campaign group through a Freedom of Information request, show plans for officials to write to the data watchdog, the ICO, following the meeting, causing concerns about Government pressure on the independent regulator.
Facewatch produces live facial recognition technology for the retail sector; technology which has been criticised by rights campaigners for its invasiveness, inaccuracy and bias against people with darker skin tones.
Commenting, Advocacy Manager at Big Brother Watch, Mark Johnson said:
“Minutes of the closed-door meeting between Chris Philp and surveillance tech firm Facewatch make for uncomfortable reading. The Home Office must urgently answer questions about this meeting, which appears to have led officials to lean on the ICO in order to favour a firm that sells highly invasive facial recognition technology.
“Live facial recognition is an authoritarian mass surveillance tool that turns the public into walking ID cards. When used in retail settings, these face-scanning systems work by adding customers to secret watchlists with no due process, meaning people can be blacklisted and denied the opportunity to enter shops despite being entirely innocent. This may sound like something from an episode of Black Mirror but it is happening in Britain today.
“Government Ministers should strive to protect human rights, not cosy up to private companies whose products pose serious threats to civil liberties in the UK. The UK should seek to emulate the European AI Act which would place a ban on the use of facial recognition for surveillance purposes in all public spaces.”
ENDS.
Notes:
Spokespeople are available for interviews. Contact Big Brother Watch’s 24h media line on 07730439257 or email info@bigbrotherwatch.org.uk
You can find a copy of the Observer’s report on this story here.
You can find more information regarding live facial recognition on Big Brother Watch’s website.
For further information regarding the minutes of the meeting, please call Big Brother Watch’s 24h media line on 07730439257 or email info@bigbrotherwatch.org.uk