Facial recognition on trial: data protection, discrimination, and the ethics of algorithmic governance in policing

Abstract

This article examines two key ethical issues surrounding the use of automated facial recognition technology in policing–data protection and discrimination. It investigates how these issues are mobilised and understood in a landmark UK case, Ed Bridges v South Wales Police. By closely analysing legal documents, I show how the court relied on policy as a performative and corrective measure to address ethical issues. I argue that this approach overlooks the broader range of social justice concerns that arise when AI technologies intersect with sociopolitical contexts and institutional practices. These include the intrusiveness of AI in everyday life, racial biases embedded in its design and application, and the institutional racism within which the technology operates. Ultimately, these juridical questions reveal deeper tensions between reformist and abolitionist perspectives.