Statement on the High Court judgement on the use of live facial recognition technology by South Wales Police

4 Sep 2019 12:02 PM

An ICO spokesperson responded to the statement on the High Court judgement on the use of live facial recognition technology by South Wales Police

“We will be reviewing the judgment carefully. We welcome the court’s finding that the police use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) systems involves the processing of sensitive personal data of members of the public, requiring compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018. This new and intrusive technology has the potential, if used without the right privacy safeguards, to undermine rather than enhance confidence in the police.

“Our investigation into the first police pilots of this technology has recently finished. We will now consider the court’s findings in finalising our recommendations and guidance to police forces about how to plan, authorise and deploy any future LFR systems.

“In the meantime, any police forces or private organisations using these systems should be aware that existing data protection law and guidance still apply.”