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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Technology
Dan Sabbagh

Starmer’s live facial recognition plan would usher in national ID, campaigners say

A police facial recognition van in front of the Cardiff City stadium
Live facial recognition is already used by the Metropolitan police and South Wales police. Photograph: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

Civil liberties campaigners have said that a proposal made by Keir Starmer on Thursday to expand the use of live facial recognition technology would amount to the effective introduction of a national ID card system based on people’s faces.

Silkie Carlo, the director of Big Brother Watch, said it was ironic the new prime minister was suggesting a greater use of facial matching on the same day that an EU-wide law largely banning real-time surveillance technology came into force.

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