>She also said that data taken from people not on a watchlist “is deleted a fraction of a second after it is created, precisely because the MPS has no interest in that data”.
Yeah I don’t believe this for a second, the government is notorious for poor data protection.
Mammoth_Payment_6101 on
Doesn’t really matter for the criminals who walk around London with their faces covered, just a way to track everyone else.
AmbiiX on
Its a great trial space for their plan for intrusive surveillance across the whole of the UK. The whole country will become this way eventually if we let this continue and we’ll have our own version of the CCP system.
shak_0508 on
If this actually helps catch more criminals in a meaningful way, then yeah, I guess it can be seen as a good thing in theory.
That said, I really don’t like how this pairs with all the online safety / ID verification stuff. People are already getting punished over things they say online, and if more sites start requiring ID because of the OSA, it starts feeling sketchy. Add facial recognition into the mix and it’s a pretty obvious slippery slope if you say something the government doesn’t like.
NomadGeoPol on
The hard right will probably thinking burqas aint so bad after all soon.
Skeet_fighter on
It really would be nice if there were any politicians that gave even the slightest shit about personal privacy and rights.
I’ve written to my MP about this kind of stuff numerous times and just get the usual “we need to strike a balance between personal freedoms and security” response.
Strange how the balance seems to have somebody from the govt with their thumb on it on the side of “security” 99% of the time, isn’t it.
Jimmy_h4t99 on
Then you going to ban hoods, scarves ,masks, burkas?
GlasgowTrafficCone on
Oh how lovely. Bet it will make you feel really safe and not as if people are spying on you
cooky561 on
Remind me of how we’re a “free” country again?
If you can’t go outside without it being recorded, documented, and potentially eventually requiring permits (Oxford already has this planned drivers) you don’t live in a free society, this stuff needs to end, immediately.
And normal people want to stop you from being able to mask up and avoid scanning like this.
Redcoat-Mic on
I seem to recall the constant memes of “social credit score -1000” memes when China did this, doesn’t seem to be much outrage now we’re doing it.
jaceinthebox on
Guess next time I go to London I will have to wear a COVID mask, a hat and eye wear
phangtom on
UK: China is a global threat to democracy because of its authoritarianism and censorship.
Also UK: We need mass surveillance, mandatory ID verification to access the internet, ban on social media for those under 16 to stop them accessing news not approved by the government/the owners of MSM and ban on VPNs so we can monitor your internet activity to erm… protect the children. Yes, if you’re against any of these policies, you’re on the side of pedophiles.
NederFinsUK on
I don’t understand why people are fine with the idea of police officers reviewing and attempting to memorise the identities of criminals at the start of every shift, but not with a camera doing exactly the same thing.
Plodderic on
I’m surprised they’re not using Bluetooth sniffers. I’d put money on at least half the people who go around with their faces covered having a phone, AirTag or similar squawking “Steve’s phone” along with a unique identifier.
PulsatingBalloonKnot on
It all sounds like a dystopian version of ‘Person of Interest’, a TV Show from the early 2010s.
Ungodly_Box on
Well I guess I’m going to get a mask of that really annoying reflective material
Annual-Rip4687 on
Remember 6 years ago, we all wore masks. Maybe we should again, for hygiene, well data hygiene anyway.
Davenorton90 on
Can someone explain why people care so much about this? We let Apple and google have our facial biometrics? What’s wrong with the police also having it to weasel out criminals wandering amongst us?? I don’t care. If it makes the UK safer I’m happy for it to be used. Why is everyone so against it? Legitimately asking, I’m not tryna spark a row? What am I missing??
turnip_the_volume on
These systems are not infallible and open to serious misuse. It always starts with a need for security, but that need should be measured and never done in a way to sign away individual freedoms. I shudder to think what corrupted officials might use this for in a black mirror style future.
Mr_Dragonspears on
You fed up of this stuff, send a couple of quid to the Open Rights Group, a charity advocating for digital privacy, completely out gunned by lobbyists, but pretty much the only voice mounting a defence.
Working-Addendum-28 on
Large-brimmed hat and dark glasses currently in use…
druidscooobs on
And who’s to say they won’t change the rules allowing them to keep our images, don’t believe a word, not a word of it is true, they’ll tell lies and scandlise, untill they realise we are some one they should apologise to. (Phil lynott)
kahnindustries on
Why are people complaining
You have nothing to fear if you are innocent
…..and if you dont look similar to anyone who is guilty
adamislaam on
Wasn’t the rhetoric about China doing this just awful… and now here we are.
Anubis1958 on
Still wondering what the downside to this is.
If it catches criminals and terrorists, doesn’t that make me intrinsicaly safer? Imagine we had this in place before 7/7, and could have stopped or at least mitigated the deaths and injuries. Surely a little loss of privacy is worth that?
richardbaxter on
“I disagree with having my picture taken” – posts holiday photos on Facebook…
-suspicious-badger on
Putting aside the rights and wrongs of this, I find the reaction to this really interesting.
We already CCTV on every street, including CCTV in shops already using facial recognition, often with audio, with little control and safeguards in place; We have privately owned CCTV and door cams filming each other; DASH cams more and more common, including parking mode recording; banks know exactly what we earn, and what we buy; Supermarkets record your purchases, and share the data with partners; social media companies knows more about us than a lot of our own family, our holidays, and run facial recognition and other analysis in our personal photos, plus know our personal interests, and actually sell that data; NHS has records containing all my health information; ANPR camera on most main roads now track where you drive and when; mobile phone companies literally track your location, and who you phone, and messages; eBay and similar services are now sharing your activities with HMRC; ISP’s know what websites you visit; Netflix/Amazon etc are profiling you; gmail, and other providers, scan and read you email; many online services are constantly hacked and personal information is leaked onto the dark web every day; people have Amazon echos listening to every conversation they have in their home; Reddit sell you posts to AI firms for training, and don’t really delete what you write why you ask them to…
Yet this issue of police facial recognition seems to have more of a reaction than any of the above mentioned things put together.
The government already know everything they want to know about you, and private corporations know even more. But people are cool with, for example, surrendering all their personal information and complete apathy to the loss of privacy so they can have a free email account, yet are unhappy with a system that can catch serious criminals.
Miserable-Ad7835 on
Unreal, hundreds of threads get posted on here complaining about how unsafe London feels, stabbings, phone thefts etc, yet everyone pulls out the tin foil hats the second the police want to use a new form of tech to help catch criminals….
qwachochanga on
if you voluntarily carry a mobile phone everywhere you go this has absolutely no relevance to you at all. Literally zero effect on you, your rights, your behavior.
If you are one of the two people who opts out of tracking themselves.. yeah i can see why you would be pissed by this
RoyRobotoRobot on
Oooof England really starting to look more and more like the Norsefire regime.
heytherepartner5050 on
Mahmoud seems to be under the assumption that CCTV cameras all work & never break, I can only assume she’s never actually walked round the UK. She’s also under the assumption that the Police can be trusted with this tech. Imagine if it picks up a previous offender (not currently wanted for anything & who looks like any other citizen) who, for arguments sake, is a sex worker. The officer seeing that wouldn’t know unless this tech was rolled out. What is to stop the Police from using that information off-duty to then commit crime or blackmail them?
shamone_mofo on
I hate how invasive life has become with mobile phones and technology .
Anonymousopotamus on
Go ahead, scan my face! It’s not me that has to look at it.
Rruneangel on
How about if I wore a head covering.
Like a ski mark, a balaclava or a burka of sorts…
Chris73684 on
Just wait until some state-funded hacking group compromise it, and start blackmailing our politicians “ohh I can prove you went to the mistresses house, do this”. You can bet they already have a full-time team dedicated to this. Really silly idea.
iKaine on
hurr durr police don’t investigate people running off with my phone or bike despite it being impossible to trace
nooo don’t use a solution to crime in a densely populated city
I hate the idea of these cameras but it’s the only practical
solution to catch criminals in London. You’re brainwashed to protect criminals. I don’t think anyone realises how effective it would be.
mattsslug on
So all the criminals will wear face coverings because those are not illegal and all the innocent people will be tracked in every possible way…. sounds perfect.
Desperate_Humor7652 on
Excellent news!
I cannot post what I wanted to say here as I will be warned. But if it makes the streets safer…
FornyHucker22 on
Is it illegal to wear a mask of a killer just to troll this? 🤔
40 Comments
>She also said that data taken from people not on a watchlist “is deleted a fraction of a second after it is created, precisely because the MPS has no interest in that data”.
Yeah I don’t believe this for a second, the government is notorious for poor data protection.
Doesn’t really matter for the criminals who walk around London with their faces covered, just a way to track everyone else.
Its a great trial space for their plan for intrusive surveillance across the whole of the UK. The whole country will become this way eventually if we let this continue and we’ll have our own version of the CCP system.
If this actually helps catch more criminals in a meaningful way, then yeah, I guess it can be seen as a good thing in theory.
That said, I really don’t like how this pairs with all the online safety / ID verification stuff. People are already getting punished over things they say online, and if more sites start requiring ID because of the OSA, it starts feeling sketchy. Add facial recognition into the mix and it’s a pretty obvious slippery slope if you say something the government doesn’t like.
The hard right will probably thinking burqas aint so bad after all soon.
It really would be nice if there were any politicians that gave even the slightest shit about personal privacy and rights.
I’ve written to my MP about this kind of stuff numerous times and just get the usual “we need to strike a balance between personal freedoms and security” response.
Strange how the balance seems to have somebody from the govt with their thumb on it on the side of “security” 99% of the time, isn’t it.
Then you going to ban hoods, scarves ,masks, burkas?
Oh how lovely. Bet it will make you feel really safe and not as if people are spying on you
Remind me of how we’re a “free” country again?
If you can’t go outside without it being recorded, documented, and potentially eventually requiring permits (Oxford already has this planned drivers) you don’t live in a free society, this stuff needs to end, immediately.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/723131
And normal people want to stop you from being able to mask up and avoid scanning like this.
I seem to recall the constant memes of “social credit score -1000” memes when China did this, doesn’t seem to be much outrage now we’re doing it.
Guess next time I go to London I will have to wear a COVID mask, a hat and eye wear
UK: China is a global threat to democracy because of its authoritarianism and censorship.
Also UK: We need mass surveillance, mandatory ID verification to access the internet, ban on social media for those under 16 to stop them accessing news not approved by the government/the owners of MSM and ban on VPNs so we can monitor your internet activity to erm… protect the children. Yes, if you’re against any of these policies, you’re on the side of pedophiles.
I don’t understand why people are fine with the idea of police officers reviewing and attempting to memorise the identities of criminals at the start of every shift, but not with a camera doing exactly the same thing.
I’m surprised they’re not using Bluetooth sniffers. I’d put money on at least half the people who go around with their faces covered having a phone, AirTag or similar squawking “Steve’s phone” along with a unique identifier.
It all sounds like a dystopian version of ‘Person of Interest’, a TV Show from the early 2010s.
Well I guess I’m going to get a mask of that really annoying reflective material
Remember 6 years ago, we all wore masks. Maybe we should again, for hygiene, well data hygiene anyway.
Can someone explain why people care so much about this? We let Apple and google have our facial biometrics? What’s wrong with the police also having it to weasel out criminals wandering amongst us?? I don’t care. If it makes the UK safer I’m happy for it to be used. Why is everyone so against it? Legitimately asking, I’m not tryna spark a row? What am I missing??
These systems are not infallible and open to serious misuse. It always starts with a need for security, but that need should be measured and never done in a way to sign away individual freedoms. I shudder to think what corrupted officials might use this for in a black mirror style future.
You fed up of this stuff, send a couple of quid to the Open Rights Group, a charity advocating for digital privacy, completely out gunned by lobbyists, but pretty much the only voice mounting a defence.
Large-brimmed hat and dark glasses currently in use…
And who’s to say they won’t change the rules allowing them to keep our images, don’t believe a word, not a word of it is true, they’ll tell lies and scandlise, untill they realise we are some one they should apologise to. (Phil lynott)
Why are people complaining
You have nothing to fear if you are innocent
…..and if you dont look similar to anyone who is guilty
Wasn’t the rhetoric about China doing this just awful… and now here we are.
Still wondering what the downside to this is.
If it catches criminals and terrorists, doesn’t that make me intrinsicaly safer? Imagine we had this in place before 7/7, and could have stopped or at least mitigated the deaths and injuries. Surely a little loss of privacy is worth that?
“I disagree with having my picture taken” – posts holiday photos on Facebook…
Putting aside the rights and wrongs of this, I find the reaction to this really interesting.
We already CCTV on every street, including CCTV in shops already using facial recognition, often with audio, with little control and safeguards in place; We have privately owned CCTV and door cams filming each other; DASH cams more and more common, including parking mode recording; banks know exactly what we earn, and what we buy; Supermarkets record your purchases, and share the data with partners; social media companies knows more about us than a lot of our own family, our holidays, and run facial recognition and other analysis in our personal photos, plus know our personal interests, and actually sell that data; NHS has records containing all my health information; ANPR camera on most main roads now track where you drive and when; mobile phone companies literally track your location, and who you phone, and messages; eBay and similar services are now sharing your activities with HMRC; ISP’s know what websites you visit; Netflix/Amazon etc are profiling you; gmail, and other providers, scan and read you email; many online services are constantly hacked and personal information is leaked onto the dark web every day; people have Amazon echos listening to every conversation they have in their home; Reddit sell you posts to AI firms for training, and don’t really delete what you write why you ask them to…
Yet this issue of police facial recognition seems to have more of a reaction than any of the above mentioned things put together.
The government already know everything they want to know about you, and private corporations know even more. But people are cool with, for example, surrendering all their personal information and complete apathy to the loss of privacy so they can have a free email account, yet are unhappy with a system that can catch serious criminals.
Unreal, hundreds of threads get posted on here complaining about how unsafe London feels, stabbings, phone thefts etc, yet everyone pulls out the tin foil hats the second the police want to use a new form of tech to help catch criminals….
if you voluntarily carry a mobile phone everywhere you go this has absolutely no relevance to you at all. Literally zero effect on you, your rights, your behavior.
If you are one of the two people who opts out of tracking themselves.. yeah i can see why you would be pissed by this
Oooof England really starting to look more and more like the Norsefire regime.
Mahmoud seems to be under the assumption that CCTV cameras all work & never break, I can only assume she’s never actually walked round the UK. She’s also under the assumption that the Police can be trusted with this tech. Imagine if it picks up a previous offender (not currently wanted for anything & who looks like any other citizen) who, for arguments sake, is a sex worker. The officer seeing that wouldn’t know unless this tech was rolled out. What is to stop the Police from using that information off-duty to then commit crime or blackmail them?
I hate how invasive life has become with mobile phones and technology .
Go ahead, scan my face! It’s not me that has to look at it.
How about if I wore a head covering.
Like a ski mark, a balaclava or a burka of sorts…
Just wait until some state-funded hacking group compromise it, and start blackmailing our politicians “ohh I can prove you went to the mistresses house, do this”. You can bet they already have a full-time team dedicated to this. Really silly idea.
hurr durr police don’t investigate people running off with my phone or bike despite it being impossible to trace
nooo don’t use a solution to crime in a densely populated city
I hate the idea of these cameras but it’s the only practical
solution to catch criminals in London. You’re brainwashed to protect criminals. I don’t think anyone realises how effective it would be.
So all the criminals will wear face coverings because those are not illegal and all the innocent people will be tracked in every possible way…. sounds perfect.
Excellent news!
I cannot post what I wanted to say here as I will be warned. But if it makes the streets safer…
Is it illegal to wear a mask of a killer just to troll this? 🤔