The government is to develop and introduce a new legal code for the use of facial recognition technology in the private sector.
The new code will “make sure that businesses using facial recognition to tackle crime, including shops, are using it responsibly and complimentary to law enforcement efforts” the Home Office said today.
The technology has become a popular defence against shoplifting in the grocery sector, rolled out by the likes of Asda, Sainsbury’s, Home Bargains, Southern Co-op, Budgens and Costcutter.
Earlier this year, Sainsbury’s – which plans to roll out the technology to more than 200 stores by the end of this year – said its effectiveness was “clear”, with trials seeing a 46% reduction in logged incidents of theft, harm, aggression and antisocial behaviour, and 92% of identified and banned offenders not returning to its stores.
However, it has proven controversial, with several cases of innocent shoppers being mistakenly identified as shoplifters, and ejected from stores.
A report last year by the Ada Lovelace Institute concluded facial recognition rollouts exist in a “legal grey area”.
The government said that while there were already legal requirements in place concerning facial recognition, “they are set out across a vast patchwork system and in need of a clear, consistent set of laws”.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood described facial recognition technology as “the biggest breakthrough for catching criminals since DNA matching” adding that “the benefits are clear, so we must and will expand its use”.
The new rules, she added, would ensure “use of this technology is watertight, so the public can have confidence that these tools, which are vital to our safety, are used responsibly too”.
The announcement was welcomed by Association of Convenience Stores.
“Facial recognition has become an important tool for retailers in the fight against crime in their stores, identifying prolific offenders more quickly and alerting other local businesses of potential issues,” said ACS chief executive Ed Woodall.
A recent survey by the ACS found more than one in five convenience retailers (22%) currently have facial recognition technology in their stores, with a further 35% planning to invest in the tech in the future.
“We have long called for clarity on the use of facial recognition technology to ensure that retailers stay on the right side of GDPR and other privacy laws, and will work closely with the Home Office on the practical application of the new code of practice in the convenience sector.”
Facewatch, the UK’s largest provider of the technology to retailers, also welcomed the new code’s promise of “clear rules, independent oversight and accountability”, which it said “are vital to public trust”.
“We want the government to set a high bar and hold every provider, including Facewatch, to it,” said the company’s CEO Nick Fisher.
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