‘No place in Scotland’ for live facial recognition, charity warns police force

Facial recognition technology “should have no place” in Scotland, a human rights charity has said as Police Scotland considers its adoption.

Amnesty International has warned that implementing the technology would show an “alarming disregard for fundamental human rights”.

No final decision has been taken by the force on using the technology, but it is exploring the idea.

The Scottish Police Authority, which has oversight of Police Scotland, has said that any plans to rollout facial recognition technology would need to be in line with a specific code of practice covering deployment, how the public would be informed, and how any ‘watch list’ would be compiled and retained.

But Amnesty International has argued that any use of the technology would be beyond the pale.

The charity has responded to Police Scotland and Scottish Police Authority consultation on a draft biometrics strategy for Scottish policing, setting outs its concerns, including that it would limit people’s rights to privacy, peaceful assembly, freedom of association, and freedom of expression.

It also says that the technology has been proven to disproportionally impact ethnic minority groups and more deprived communities.

Neil Cowan, Amnesty’s Scotland programme director, said: “The police must listen to the voices of people across Scotland, who are horrified at the prospect of this mass surveillance tool being rolled out on Scotland’s streets.

“In showing an alarming disregard for fundamental human rights and in disproportionately targeting people of colour, this invasive and disturbing technology should have no place in a Scotland that respects and values human rights. 

“Any claims by Police Scotland to be a rights-respecting force will ring hollow unless these plans are dropped. If they are not, Scotland will be dragged backwards on human rights.”

The consultation, which closes today, says that biometric technologies “offer transformative opportunities for modern policing” but recognises there is a need to embed a commitment to human rights, ethics and transparency in any strategy.

As well as live facial recognition, it also covered CCTV recordings, body-worn video, drones, digital forensics and recovered evidence.