Law Enforcement Use of Facial Recognition in the UK

Law Enforcement Use of Facial Recognition in the UK—A Normative Regulatory Framework?

Speaker: Dr Asress Gikay, Brunel University London

The law enforcement use of automated live facial recognition has caused great concern in Europe. UK law enforcement authorities have deployed the technology in publicly accessible spaces in multiple instances. Today, there is an increasing call for more robust regulation and governance. Some scholars and advocacy groups also call for an outright ban on the technology's use by law enforcement authorities.

However, the UK should take a more balanced regulatory approach to reap the technology's benefits in improving public safety while addressing its risk. Based on an in-depth study of laws, policies and practices, I argue that the UK's legal regime requires changes to effectively manage the risks posed by the technology, focusing both on the development and deployment stages.

Asress Gikay is a Senior Lecturer in AI, Disruptive Innovation, and Law at Brunel University London. He is a member of Brunel University Centre for Artificial Intelligence where he co-coordinates the Centre’s Thought Leadership Series. He obtained his PhD (with honour) in Individual Person and Legal Protections from Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (Pisa, Italy) with thesis focusing on the Regulation of Automated Consumer Credit Assessment in the EU and the US. His current research interest is in law, policy and governance of AI, with particular focus on fundamental rights including the privacy implications of AI technologies applied in private and public sectors.

Moderator: Dr Pin Lean Lau (Senior Lecturer in Bio-Law, Brunel University London)