Top Met cop says national facial recognition 'watchlist' would be vital in snaring the most serious offenders
A senior Metropolitan Police official has publicly backed the creation of a national facial recognition watchlist, arguing it would help catch the most dangerous criminals. The proposal would expand facial recognition beyond its current use into a centralized, nationwide system.
Why this matters: A national watchlist means your face gets checked against a government database every time a camera catches you in public. Right now, facial recognition in the UK is already used at events and on streets. Making it national and permanent is a significant step further. The pitch is always the same: serious offenders, public safety. But the infrastructure built to catch the worst people does not stay pointed only at them. Everyone else ends up in the system too.
Who should care: Privacy officers · Cybersecurity · General readers · Policy
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