Thames Valley Police have deployed two new live facial recognition vans in the city of Oxford as early use of the controversial technology kicks off.
Used to compare individual’s faces against a police database, live facial recognition technology has been positioned by the Home Office as a powerful tool to catch wanted criminals and even contribute to immigration enforcement.
In August, the Home Office announced new funding for a fleet of live facial recognition police vans. The government said these vehicles will only be deployed when there is specific intelligence and will be subject to “strict rules”.
Police forces including the Metropolitan Police and South Wales have already been operating with live facial recognition equipment.
The rollout has been celebrated by the influential Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, a think tank founded by the former prime minister that described the move as a “no-brainer” in tackling crime.
Civil liberty groups have, however, warned against both the potential intrusiveness of the technology and the precedent of racial bias in existing facial recognition technology.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said this month that it was “disappointed” with the Home Office for failing to inform it about historical bias connected with the technology.
Read more: How do we address public concerns over facial recognition?
