The annual report from the Office of the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner (OBSCC) has revealed that police are still storing images of innocent individuals who were arrested but not charged, despite a 2012 High Court ruling that deemed the practice unlawful. The Police National Database, accessible to UK police forces and certain law enforcement agencies, retains such custody images, which can be used for facial recognition checks.
Commenting on the article in The Guardian, Charlie Whelton from Liberty expressed concern over the unlawful retention and use of sensitive biometric data, urging Parliament to regulate facial recognition technology. A 2017 review found over 19 million custody images on the database, with more than 16 million in a searchable facial recognition gallery. It concluded that individuals not convicted should be able to request image removal, but campaigners seek stricter regulations on their use. In contrast, Scotland only uploads custody images of charged individuals and reviews images to delete those not linked to ongoing prosecutions.
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