Police Use of Retrospective Facial Recognition Technology: A Step Change in Surveillance Capability Necessitating an Evolution of the Human Rights Law Framework

Abstract

Retrospective facial recognition (RFR) marks a step change in police surveillance capability that has received surprisingly little attention to-date. As the legal issues surrounding RFR are uncertain, and as legal challenge is likely, this article makes four key contributions. First, the surveillance capability made possible by RFR is set out. Second, human rights harms associated with RFR are examined, highlighting the ‘chilling effects’ of surveillance, and raising the possibility of compound human rights harm. Third, the assumption that the common law, coupled with police forces’ policy framework, may satisfy the ‘in accordance with the law’ test is challenged, and existing policy frameworks are evaluated. Fourth, the ‘necessity’ test is unpacked to better understand how evidence in favour of a RFR deployment could be presented, and how associated harm may be identified. This section asks whether the necessity test, as currently approached, is adequate in light of the emergence of RFR.