Facewatch and ACS welcome new rules on facial recognition technology

Industry groups have welcomed government proposals to strengthen rules around how police use facial recognition tools designed to thwart shoplifters and other criminals.

Yesterday, the Home Office said it would create an independent watchdog to “provide independent oversight of police use of current and future technologies – and could potentially stop forces from using them if they fail to comply”.

There has been controversy around the equipment after cases where innocent customers were banned from stores after being identified as persistent shoplifters. The technology has also been criticised for potentially being discriminatory against certain racial groups or other demographics.

While these moves are designed to put rules around how police use the technology, some in the industry hope they will also provide clarity around how facial recognition is deployed by retailers and providers.

The Home Office says any technologies used by law enforcement agencies “must be rigorously and independently tested against bias or discrimination of age, gender or race”.

Police will also only be able to rely on facial recognition technology if its use is “intelligence-led and proportionate”, for example when wanted individuals are known to be present in an area.

The changes follow a public consultation that concluded that, while there was strong support for its effectiveness in catching offenders, there needed to be “stronger safeguards around the extent of its use”.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood calls facial recognition technology “the biggest breakthrough in catching criminals since DNA matching” and that it is “already helping police take thousands of dangerous criminals off our streets”.

However, she adds: “The benefits are clear, but we must ensure that its use is fair, safe and proportionate.”

Facewatch, one of the largest providers of facial recognition technology to retailers, says the move allays its concern that police and private sector users of the equipment might be subject to different regulations.

“Clear rules, independent oversight and accountability are vital to public trust, alongside recognising the technology’s role in preventing crime and protecting shop workers,” says its chief executive Nick Fisher. “We want the government to set a high bar and hold every provider, including Facewatch, to it.”

The Association of Convenience Stores describes the new proposals as “an important step forward in retailers using the technology to identify and report prolific offenders”.

Chief executive Ed Woodall says: “Facial recognition has become an important tool for retailers in the fight against crime in their stores, identifying prolific offenders more quickly and alerting other businesses of potential issues.

“We have long called for clarity on the use of facial recognition technology to ensure that retailers stay on the right side of GDPR and other privacy laws, and will work closely with the Home Office on the practical application of the new code of practice in the convenience sector.”

The new laws around the use of the technology will be included in the Police Reform Bill, when it is introduced to Parliament.