More police, a 'Fireworks Car' and facial recognition van to be deployed across Nottinghamshire for Bonfire Night
Nottinghamshire Police plan to deploy additional officers, a dedicated 'Fireworks Car,' and a facial recognition van across the county during Bonfire Night festivities. The deployment signals an expansion of live facial recognition surveillance into routine seasonal policing in the UK.
Why this matters: A facial recognition van at a public fireworks event is not a targeted investigation. It scans everyone who shows up. You do not have to be suspected of anything. You just have to be there. That is a meaningful line to cross. Bonfire Night draws families, children, and crowds of ordinary people. Using it as a facial recognition deployment normalizes a technology that most people in that crowd never consented to and probably do not know is running.
Who should care: Privacy officers · Cybersecurity · General readers · Policy
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