By C. Perera, JadeTimes News
For the second consecutive year, facial recognition technology will be utilized by Northamptonshire Police at the British Grand Prix to help deter criminal activity. The event, which will take place from July 4 to 7, is expected to draw around 480,000 attendees.
Initially deployed at Silverstone in 2023, the technology employs cameras to scan faces an d match biometrics against a watch list. Signage and QR codes will be prominently displayed to indicate areas where live facial recognition is in use.
Detective Superintendent Richard Tompkins emphasized the importance of not becoming complacent, stating, "Each year throws up its own challenges." He added that the technology is targeted at preventing criminals from attending the event. "If you are wanted in Northamptonshire, surrounding counties, or if we have intelligence suggesting you may be part of an organized crime group, your image will be uploaded," he explained.
To mitigate concerns of misidentification, manual verification, including fingerprint checks, will be conducted following any identification by the software. Tompkins assured that the chances of wrongful identification are "slim."
The use of facial recognition technology has faced scrutiny in the past. In 2020, a Court of Appeal ruling found South Wales Police’s trial use of the technology unlawful due to inadequate guidance on its application and insufficient data protection impact assessments. Concerns about potential racial or gender bias were also raised.
Civil rights group Liberty has argued that facial recognition is likely to disproportionately affect communities of color. However, Tompkins maintained that the primary aim of the technology is public safety, likening it to the introduction of CCTV in public areas. He reassured that data is not retained unnecessarily and stressed the operation’s focus on keeping the public safe.