Concerns over facial recognition in roll-out of Garda body-cams

The Policing Authority, the supervisory body for An Garda Síochána, said that applied incorrectly, the use of body-cameras or close circuit television could “be a barrier to the trust the public has” in the force.

The Data Protection Commission has expressed concerns about the possible use of facial recognition technology in the rollout of body-worn cameras for gardaí.

At a pre-legislative hearing of the Oireachtas Justice Committee for scrutinising the pending Garda Siochana (Digital Recording) Bill, the DPC said that while the bill “largely aligns” with Ireland’s 2018 Data Protection Act, nothing in it “provides a legal basis for the processing of special category data” which would allow for the automatic recognition of an individual.