Police are to use controversial facial recognition software to scan crowds attending the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph, the Observer can reveal. Automated facial recognition cameras will be used to identify any individual on the list who attends the Whitehall event. Critics say using these cameras – which will scan the face of anyone who passes including thousands of former and current service personnel – in public spaces has not been subject to parliamentary scrutiny and has not received legal justification. Martha Spurrier, director of Liberty, said: “There is no legal basis and no public consent for deploying this intrusive and intimidating biometric surveillance in public spaces. Automated facial recognition was last used at Notting Hill carnival, matching faces in the crowd against databases of people previously arrested or under bail conditions.

Source: The Guardian November 12, 2017 00:00 UTC