The rollout of live facial recognition vans announced by the Home Office is a “no-brainer” according to a think tank founded by former prime minister Tony Blair.
Though considered controversial by advocates for privacy and personal freedom, the use of the technology has been heavily supported by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
“Using live facial recognition technology is a no-brainer – it means violent criminals on the police’s most wanted list can be picked out in a crowd and caught. Not on the list? Your face will be pixelated, and no data will be stored, end of,” commented Ryan Wain, the institute’s executive director of politics.
“This is tried and tested tech that’s ready to go, keeps people safe, and rebuilds trust that government can deliver.”
Wain acknowledged the importance of “debating safety and privacy”, but argued that the “real risk to democracy” is a “a failure to address the legitimate grievances of voters” regarding tackling violent crime, rather than surveillance.
The UK has been slowly increasing its use of live facial recognition in law enforcement through a series of trials that have already yielded controversy.
Earlier this month a man brought a legal challenge against the Metropolitan Police after live facial recognition technology erroneously identified him as a suspect.
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