Police聽are facing calls to halt聽the聽public use of facial recognition software to search for suspected criminals after academics from聽the聽University of Essex found matches were only correct in one in five of cases and聽the聽system was likely to break human rights laws.
It鈥檚 not聽the聽first time聽the聽police鈥檚 use of automated facial recognition technology has made聽the聽headlines; only聽a聽couple of months ago it was reported that聽a聽man had taken聽the聽South Wales Police to court over images that were taken of him without his consent.
Police forces across聽the聽country are facing increasing cost pressures, with direct government funding having fallen 30% in聽the聽last 8 years, and are turning to facial recognition as聽a聽way to increase efficiency whilst cutting costs.聽TheMetropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick commented recently that facial recognition is 鈥榲ery useful鈥� within law enforcement and that聽the聽technology needs to make its way towards public acceptance or聽Britain聽risks being 鈥榬eally, really, really left behind.鈥�
Jason Tooley, board member of techUK and Chief Revenue Officer at聽Veridium,聽believes that聽the聽police force would further benefit from biometrics by adopting聽a聽more holistic,聽open聽approach to聽the聽technology. It needn鈥檛 be聽thecase for聽the聽police to scrap facial recognition software entirely, as聽the聽issue is more to do with public perception and education than success rate.
Jason comments: 鈥淧ublic perception of the maturity of biometrics such as automated facial recognition and their effective usage has strong links back to existing physical processes and public adoption. Fingerprint technology has high levels of consumer adoption due to use on mobile devices, and use cases such as airports using flatbed scanners, which is also widely understood and helps immensely with acceptance. There is clearly a need to focus on how biometrics as a whole, as technology matures, can support identity verification at scale and gain nationwide public acceptance as part of a wider digital policing initiative.鈥�
鈥淚t is imperative for police forces to take a strategic approach as they trial biometric technologies, and not solely focus on a single biometric approach. This open multi-factor approach will strengthen evidence and decrease the risk of wrongful arrests. This should alleviate human rights concerns, but the public need to be reassured that the technology is assisting in crime solving and not just merely being used as surveillance.鈥�
鈥淲ith聽the聽rapid rate of innovation in聽the聽field, an聽open聽biometric strategy that delivers聽the聽ability for聽the聽police to use聽theright biometric techniques for聽the聽right requirements will accelerate聽the聽benefits associated with digital policing and achieve public acceptance by linking聽the聽strategy to ease of adoption. Instead of only using facial recognition perhaps for聽a聽single reason,聽the聽police should ensure they have strategically assessed which is聽the聽right biometric technique, for聽theright use case, based on聽the聽scenario.鈥�
鈥淎nother issue which has come to聽the聽forefront, since聽the聽revelation that facial recognition as聽a聽standalone piece of evidence only correctly identified one in five suspects, is聽the聽high levels of customer expectations on聽the聽technology鈥檚 effectiveness.聽The聽public expectation is that results should be 100% accurate, as they are used to facial recognition technology on their phones and at airports for which聽the聽results are generally good.聽The聽public expectation of facial recognition for surveillance being as high as their other experiences in use of facial is unrealistic. Fingerprint is more successful and is migration of聽a聽physical to digital process, but requires聽a聽comparison vs existing data and is聽a聽one to one exercise. Police in other countries are using this approach successfully;聽the聽key is to digitalise聽the聽process using technology already embraced by consumers, making聽the聽application simpler and easier to use鈥�
