Warning over using face recognition to catch shoplifters

Using facial recognition cameras to crackdown on shoplifting would be "dangerously authoritarian", campaigners have warned.

The Times says policing minister Chris Philp will ask forces to use the technology to match known shoplifters on the police national computer.

The Home Office declined to comment on the use of face recognition to catch shoplifters.

A government source said the idea that more shoplifters will be jailed has been discussed.

Currently, the crime does not necessarily result in a jail sentence.

Mark Johnson, from Big Brother Watch which campaigns for civil liberties, said: "Live facial recognition is a dystopian mass surveillance tool that turns innocent members of the public into walking ID cards.

"Deploying this face-scanning surveillance to track the public is a dangerously authoritarian step that aligns the UK with the likes of Russia and China.

Rather than promote its use, the government should follow other liberal democracies around the world that are legislating to ban this Orwellian technology from public spaces."

Mr Johnson also questioned the accuracy of the technology and said it is not "an efficient crime fighting tool", with the police's own statistics revealing that more than eight out of 10 facial recognition matches have been "inaccurate since its introduction".

At present the Metropolitan Police and South Wales police regularly use facial recognition technology to tackle crime.

It is reported that under the new plan, the government want all forces to use facial recognition cameras.

The government is also in favour of retailers making greater use of the technology to curb shoplifting.

It comes as data analysed by the BBC showed shoplifting offences had now returned to pre-pandemic levels as the cost of living rises.

The Co-op said there were about 1,000 cases of crime, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour in its shops every day in the six months to June.

A Freedom of Information request had shown many police forces did not prioritise retail crime, with, on average, 71% of serious retail crime not responded to by police, the chain said.

Ministers plan to introduce a new crime and justice bill in the upcoming King's Speech - although planning for the legislation is still in its early stages.

The bill will require judges to impose custody on those who are caught repeatedly for shoplifting, the Times reported.

A government source told the newspaper the trigger for a custodial sentence for repeat shoplifting would likely be between 10 and 20 instances.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Shoplifting strikes at the heart of local communities and we expect police forces to take this seriously - deterring this kind of crime but also catching more offenders.

"We have invested a record of up to £17.6bn in 2023/24 into policing, including for more visible patrols in our neighbourhoods and better security such as CCTV and alarm systems."