Dear John,

Discriminatory facial recognition surveillance technology is being used on our streets and in public places like shopping centres and train stations. It’s time to ban it. Sign the petition now.

Facial recognition cameras scan everyone within range to make biometric maps of their faces – more like fingerprints than photographs. These are then compared to images on secretive watchlists. 

Thousands of people are scanned at every deployment without their consent – and often without their knowledge. This is a shocking invasion of privacy. 

Research shows that when people know they are under surveillance, they behave differently to avoid unjustified suspicion, altering where they go and who they go with. 

The tech has also been proven to discriminate against people of colour and women, meaning they are more likely to be misidentified and stopped, questioned and searched by the police. And police have often chosen to use it in locations with predominantly black, Asian and minority ethnic or working-class populations, embedding discriminatory approaches to policing.

And we know at least one police force has plans to start using the tech on officers’ mobile phones, making it easier for them to scan us on the move.

The tech has also been used by private companies in busy shopping centres and transport hubs, scanning thousands of people every day. 

Police use of facial recognition on our streets and private company use in publicly accessible places must be banned.

The Metropolitan Police is due to decide whether to roll live facial recognition out across London at any moment. An independent report on its use of the tech to date says it has failed to protect human rights.

And Liberty has taken South Wales Police to court to end its use of live facial recognition in public. But while we wait for the Court’s decision, the force has scanned another 87,500 people. 

Private companies have also used facial recognition on shoppers and commuters – some in conjunction with the police. Other forces and companies will follow their lead.

Sign the petition to get this dangerous and discriminatory mass surveillance tool off our streets for good. 

Thank you for your support,

Hannah Couchman
Policy and Campaigns Officer 

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