British privacy organization starts lawsuit over police use of facial recognition

The British privacy organization Big Brother Watch has announced that it has started a case against the use of facial recognition software by the police. The judge has yet to let the case proceed.

In an announcement, the organization reports that the action is directed against the British Home Secretary and the director of the Metropolitan Police. Big Brother Watch believes that the use of the technology violates rights such as the fundamental right to privacy. Also, the usage would mean ‘a slippery slope to an Orwellian society’. The organization is raising money through a crowdfunding campaign to pay for the cause. The counter now stands at just over five thousand pounds.

Big Brother Watch cites several examples that would show that the use of facial recognition is inaccurate and often produces a false positive. Director Silkie Carlo says the use of cameras exposes people within a certain area to “highly sensitive identity checks that they have not given permission for.” According to the BBC, police are testing systems in London and three other places in the country. The police would regard the technology as an ‘extremely valuable tool’.

The case is in the form of a judicial review, for which an application has been filed in the High Court. He must give his consent before the case can proceed.