PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Police: Biometrics (7 June 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what oversight mechanisms are in place for facial recognition technology used by the police; and what consent is required from members of the public to capture their features for analysis.

Asked by:
Janet Daby (Labour)

There is a comprehensive legal framework for the management of biometrics, including facial recognition. This includes the Data Protection Act 2018, regulated by the Information Commissioner’s Office, Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010, the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE), the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (POFA), and police forces’ own published policies. The College of Policing is carrying out a public consultation on national police guidance for the use of live facial recognition. The guidance covers the oversight arrangements and the importance of public notification and engagement. When there is no alert for a possible match, the biometrics of those captured by the system are deleted immediately.

Answered by:
Kit Malthouse (Conservative)
15 June 2021