MPs are urging the Government to halt the deployment of live facial recognition cameras following a decision by Essex Police to suspend their use due to concerns about racial bias. Labour’s Bell Ribeiro-Addy emphasized the prevalence of bias and inaccuracy in the technology and cautioned against its potential dangers, calling for enhanced safeguards. The Liberal Democrats echoed the call for a national rollout pause until new legislation is enacted.
Essex Police paused the use of live facial recognition cameras after a study revealed a higher identification rate of black individuals, indicating potential bias. A study by Cambridge University showed that while false positive alerts were rare, there were instances of misidentifying black individuals. The force has since adjusted the software following the findings.
Ribeiro-Addy expressed concerns about expanding facial recognition technology, emphasizing the need for error correction and increased oversight before widespread implementation. Max Wilkinson, a Lib Dem spokesman, echoed these sentiments, stressing the importance of eliminating biases and implementing statutory safeguards before a national rollout.
Live facial recognition cameras utilize AI to scan faces in public areas and cross-reference them against watchlists, with non-matches promptly deleted. The Metropolitan Police reported successful apprehensions of over 1,700 suspects since the beginning of 2024, including individuals accused of serious crimes such as rape and child abuse.
Essex Police’s technology differs from that of other forces, and the force has updated its policies and procedures to address potential biases and inaccuracies. The Information Commissioner’s Office highlighted the pause in deployments by Essex Police due to concerns of inaccuracy and bias, urging further evaluation before resuming operations.
Jake Hurfurt from Big Brother Watch criticized the widespread use of experimental and potentially biased AI surveillance, emphasizing the need for accountability and transparency in police deployment of such technologies.
