Police criticised over use of facial recognition tech
A WATCHDOG has criticised the way that a Welsh police force is using facial recognition technology.
South Wales Police has been conducting a trial of the tech since 2017 ahead of a possible rollout to police forces in Wales and England.
Detectives from the force have used it at a Six Nations game as well as at Porthcawl’s Elvis festival – with senior officers insisting they use the new tool properly and lawfully.
However, The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has expressed concerns about taking a blanket approach by using the equipment at at large events.
And the watchdog also raised questions about how people’s faces end up on its database as well as possible inaccuracies.
The technology works by scanning faces in crowds which are then compared with a “watchlist” of images, which is made by police and includes suspects or people of interest.
The information commissioner Elizabeth Denham said she had “serious concerns” about how South Wales Police was using the tech.
The ICO’s report cited one example during the Six Nations clash between Wales and England in February. It said that 830 people’s photos were on the so-called “watchlist” before police hit the streets that day - including people wanted in connection with minor offences.
The report found that of that contingent, 280 had been on warrant for arrest while the rest were classed as suspects. But during the deployment only 12 alerts were generated and three arrests made.
The report said: “Other than the fact that the Six Nations rugby match meant that the city would be busier than usual, there was no intelligence to suggest that the individuals on the watchlist would be in the area.”
It added: “During her investigation, the commissioner has been provided with no evidence that considerations were made when watchlists are constructed.
“South Wales Police argues that their approach is justified, because a larger list of suspects provides a greater chance of apprehending individuals. While not the sole justification, South Wales Police also argues this provides better value for money.”
They found that South Wales Police deployments were not sufficiently led by intelligence, without a specific objective and was “underpinned by underdeveloped” planning.
However, the ICO said such an approach was in marked contrast to the Metropolitan Police’s more “bespoke” approach.
In one case, the Met’s watchlist included those wanted for violent offences and was deployed in an area where almost 40 violent offences had been recorded the month before.
The ICO said: “However, South Wales Police set no such bar for the watchlist and included images of everyone on their wanted list, including those suspected of committing minor offences.”
The report comes after a Cardiff man recently lost the world’s first legal challenge over police use of the technology. Ed Bridges, 36, brought the challenge at the High Court after claiming his face was scanned while doing Christmas shopping in 2017 and at an anti-arms protest in 2018.
His lawyers argued the use of the technology caused him “distress” and violated his privacy and data protection rights. But his case was dismissed in September by two leading judges, who said the use of the technology was not unlawful.
Now the Information Commissioner said that the judges only looked at the two specific deployments in the capital, and that the ruling “should not be seen as a blanket authorisation for police forces to use LFR systems in all circumstances”.
South Wales Police first used the technology at the Uefa Champions League final in June 2017 in the Welsh capital. It wrongly identified 2,000 people as possible criminals
They have since used it on more than 50 occasions. Despite the high number of deployments, the report said there is no indication when the pilot might end.