March 29, 2024

UK to require migrants with criminal records to wear facial recognition watches

UK to require migrants with criminal records to wear facial recognition watches

The UK Home Office and Ministry of Justice plan to require migrants toa criminal record wearing a watch with face recognition to track them. The Guardian writes about it.

As conceived by officials, the devices will be able to take up to five pictures a day and send data to law enforcement officers along with geolocation. It is only about foreigners convicted of a criminal offence.

The authorities called for "daily monitoring ofpersons subject to immigration control. They suggested that all such arrivals in the UK wear ankle bracelets or smartwatches at all times.

In May 2022 the British governmentsigned a £6m contract with Buddi Limited. The firm has developed a bracelet to monitor elderly people who are in danger of falling. Probably, the same company will create a device for law enforcement officers that can take pictures for their further scanning.

Lawyers criticized the proposals of the authorities.According to Monish Bhatt, a professor of criminology at Birkbeck, University of London, the Home Office itself does not yet know how long people will remain under surveillance.

"They didn't provide any evidence,showing the need for electronic monitoring, or demonstrated that the tags make people more conscientious about immigration laws. We need humane, non-degrading solutions at the community level,” he said.

Recall that in July, the British police launched testing of a roadside van to identify violations by drivers.

In the same month, human rights activists demanded a ban on facial recognition of shoppers in supermarkets in the south of England.