Exclusive:Live facial recognition technology 'has to be future' for Police Scotland, as SNP conference agrees plan
SNP conference has passed a motion that an act of parliament would be needed for the technology to be introduced in Scotland.
A leading Scottish police union chief has backed the use of controversial live facial recognition by the force, warning the technology "has to be the future".
Live facial recognition essentially identifies people by facially scanning them and then compares the data to an existing watchlist. The technology has been used south of the Border since 2017, largely in London.
Police Scotland, which paused a bid to introduce the technology in 2020, is reconsidering utilising live facial recognition.
Scottish Police Federation (SPF) chairman David Threadgold warned that “criminals are evolving”.
He said: “Police Scotland is not ahead of the curve at the moment.
“Facial recognition, the chief constable has been clear, this is something that we are going to consider taking into account.
“I think that if we are going to give ourselves the best opportunity to be as effective as we can be as a police service, then this has to be the future.”
Earlier this year, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) warned the Metropolitan’s Police’s use of the technology “falls short” of appropriate safeguards.
The SNP’s community safety minister Siobhian Brown stressed lessons must be learned from the Metropolitan Police before rolling out the controversial live facial recognition in Scotland.
Speaking at an SNP conference event held by the SPF, Ms Brown told The Scotsman the technology was “an operational issue for Police Scotland to determine”.
She said: “I know they are considering it. I think they are putting forward a business model to look at it, at the moment.
“I think moving forward, if it was to be implemented by Police Scotland, there are lessons to be learned in how it’s being done down south first. We would have to ensure that it is compliant with all legislation, as well.”
Mr Threadgold stressed “you would still need to deploy operational police officers” to use the technology.
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SNP conference agreed a resolution that “police use of live facial recognition technology should not be allowed in Scotland without primary legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament”.
SNP member Erin Lux warned the technology “effectively turns your face into a mandatory ID card”.
She said “without proper regulation, this technology is a threat to our human rights” and could have a “chilling affect on participation in politics and protest”.
Ms Lux added: “This technology should not be allowed to be snuck in through the back door.”
The technology was debated at SNP conference just days after Amnesty International warned Police Scotland’s adoption of the artificial intelligence powered system would represent an “historic shift” in the force’s relationship with the public, and undermine Scotland’s human rights obligations.
The charity has urged Justice Secretary Angela Constance to start work on drafting a legal ban to prevent the roll-out of the technology, which it described as “a mode of mass surveillance by design”.