Britain is poised to conduct facial recognition checks on its 50 million drivers in the upcoming year, with the aim of leveraging this initiative to apprehend criminals based on images captured in the CCTV surveillance database. The Home Office and Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency (DLVA) have introduced a legal proposal exclusively targeting adults.
Chris Phillip, the Minister of State for Crime, expressed that this new law would be a game changer, operating in harmony with existing data privacy laws. The primary focus is to apprehend individuals involved in crimes such as burglary, theft, shoplifting, and terrorism.
According to information available to Cybersecurity Insiders, facial recognition cameras will compare images from the police criminal database with those from the passport and immigration database, aiding in the creation of a suspect profile. If scanned motorists are identified as criminals, they will be apprehended through legal channels.
While comparing the driving license database with criminal records may be perceived as an invasion of privacy for licensed users, proponents argue that it fosters trust among the public, showcasing the government’s capability to combat crime in the interest of national security.
The implementation of such comparisons between crime and driving license databases is not new, with countries like China and the United States already utilizing similar systems. The effectiveness of such initiatives remains uncertain and only time will reveal their true impact.
Typically, these technologies prove beneficial in solving minor crimes such as theft and burglary. However, their efficacy in addressing more serious crimes like murder has been limited, solving only a handful of cases. Despite this, proponents argue that even partial success is a step in the right direction, as technology continues to exceed expectations.
