The Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner Professor William Webster said:
I welcome the fact that the government has now launched its promised consultation to help develop a new legislative framework for the use of facial recognition and similar technologies by law enforcement. This is a unique and important opportunity to shape this fast moving policy area, and I urge everyone with an interest in how facial recognition and similar technologies are being used by law enforcement agencies to actively contribute to the debate and reply to the consultation.
As I consider my response as Commissioner, my priorities will be to consider, firstly, what meaningful oversight on the use of facial recognition and similar technologies actually looks like. Secondly, how we can ensure that the regulatory framework is sufficiently agile to provide the public with confidence that the right balance of regulatory oversight has been achieved in a fast moving area with innovation and new technologies emerging at pace.
I will be looking at ways in which to help discussion with stakeholders on these issues during the consultation period before I submit my response. Further details will follow shortly.