Thread by @libertyhq

The first-ever UK court case against police use of #FacialRecognition tech on our streets starts tomorrow.

South Wales Police has used the rights-abusing, discriminatory tech on the public over 50 times. We’re going to put an end to it.

#ResistFacialRec

#FacialRecognition cameras are light-years away from regular CCTV. They scan everyone within range and make unique biometric maps of their faces - more like a fingerprint than a photograph.

The biometric maps made by #FacialRecognition cameras are then matched against watch lists the police put together. These lists can include entirely innocent people. In 2017, the tech was used to target people with mental health conditions. theguardian.com/technology/201…

Without your consent, and often without your knowledge, #FacialRecognition cameras scan everyone who goes by, snatching deeply personal biometric data - a clear breach of your right to privacy.

Research has shown #FacialRecognition is more likely to misidentify women and people from minority ethnic groups - meaning they are more likely to be stopped and questioned by police, entrenching social bias. bbc.co.uk/news/technolog…

Last week the city of San Francisco – so often at the heart of technology advancement – banned police use of #FacialRecognition “to prevent the unleashing of this dangerous technology against the public” nytimes.com/2019/05/14/us/…

South Wales Police has been at the forefront of #FacialRecognition use in the UK, receiving Government funding for it and using the tech in public on more than 50 occasions so far – including scanning Ed Bridges twice.

#FacialRecognition cameras in #Cardiff snatched Ed’s biometric data twice – once when shopping, and again when exercising his right to peaceful protest. We're in court with Ed to end unlawful police use of facial rec across the UK. It has no place in a rights-respecting democracy