Spotted in London
Live facial recognition cameras are increasingly present on London's streets. This year, police have deployed this controversial surveillance technology on more than 115 occasions – up from a total of 32 times over the previous four years. When used in public, facial recognition cameras create biometric templates of passersby's faces.
These templates are then scanned against a watchlist of sought-after people, helping to reduce crime by identifying suspects, according to London's police. Meanwhile, the EU recently banned live facial recognition in public spaces – citing threats to citizens' rights – but made an exception for law enforcement under high-security circumstances.
This has left the door open for national security forces across the bloc, with some already moving to deploy the technology. Danish police are introducing facial recognition to allegedly tackle gang crime, while authorities in Sweden and Belgium are also seeking to implement the software.
Privacy advocates have labelled the UK an ”outlier” among Western democracies for its stance on facial recognition technology. In an open letter to the British government, nine campaign groups have warned that ”facial recognition surveillance is deeply intrusive.” They point to racial discrimination, misidentification resulting in wrongful arrests, and privacy violations – as well as an erosion of civil liberties such as expression and assembly.