We should treat facial recognition technology with ‘extreme caution’, says Dr Bill Mitchell, Director of Policy at BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT. Dr Bill Mitchell, Director of Policy at BCS warns of an unprecedented danger of the misuse of biometric data, including identity theft, because of flawed technology and a lack of ethical and rigorous safeguards around how that data is captured, stored and processed.
Dr Mitchell says: “Virtually every time we hear the same alarming worries about data governance practices. This directly links to worries about the current cavalier attitude to facial recognition technology. For instance, misappropriated facial biometric data could lead to opportunities for virtual doppelgängers, and poorly captured biometric data can lead to cases of mistaken identity that can have dire consequences that are hard to correct. Much of the concern has been focused on the immaturity of the technology. An even bigger concern is what your biometric data is used for, or rather misused for, once it’s been captured and added to a database.”
The Information Commissioners Office (ICO), the UK data privacy watchdog, has opened an investigation into the use of facial recognition cameras in central London in Granary Square, by King’s Cross station. Elizabeth Denham, Information Commissioner, says she remains ‘deeply concerned about the growing use of facial recognition technology in public spaces, not only by law enforcement agencies but also increasingly by the private sector’.
She says: “Facial recognition technology is a priority area for the ICO and when necessary, we will not hesitate to use our investigative and enforcement powers to protect people’s legal rights. Put simply, any organisations wanting to use facial recognition technology must comply with the law – and they must do so in a fair, transparent and accountable way. They must have documented how and why they believe their use of the technology is legal, proportionate and justified.”
