A CCTV watchdog in Britain has written to police chiefs, raising concerns over the function creep in their usage of facial recognition technology.In a letter seen by the Financial Times, Surveillance Camera Commissioner Tony Porter said the new technologies have “significantly increased capabilities to intrude upon the privacy of citizens”.He added: “If not responsibly considered and regulated [this] may adversely impact upon the public confidence which organisations seek to engender in the first place.” In an interview with the Financial Times, Porter called for greater transparency about how the technology and police image databases are used to check people's identities.”We don't know the totality of other [police] forces who are about to introduce this technology,” he said. “Are the forces aware of the regulatory requirements in using this technology?”In recent months, the software was used by forces to keep watch of large crowds such as at the Notting Hill Carnival, and track down suspects including in terror cases. In September, Paul Wiles, the biometrics commissioner, wrote in his annual report that the police's use of facial images has gone far beyond their original use for custody purposes and forces are using facial recognition software to try to identify individuals in public places.”Facial images are just the first in a new wave of biometrics. I am aware that the police are already experimenting with voice recognition technology and others such as iris, gait and vein analysis are commercially available,” says Wiles in his annual report.
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