Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the privacy and human rights implications of live facial recognition technology.
Technological advances in biometrics have brought huge benefits to police and other justice agencies in detecting, preventing and prosecuting crime.
With regard to live facial recognition technology, the Scottish Government is aware that concerns have been raised about privacy and inaccurate results for the faces of people from racialised minorities. That is why it is important that in adopting new technology, it is done in a way that secures public confidence. Any deployment of new technologies should be lawful, effective, proportionate and compliant with the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).
The use of live facial recognition technology is an operational matter for Police Scotland, under the scrutiny of the Scottish Police Authority. Police Scotland must also abide by the relevant laws; the ECHR; and the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner’s statutory code of practice.