According to reports in the British press, the UK government is considering a significant expansion of facial recognition technology for law enforcement across the country. The proposal would grant police wider access to the UK passport database, allowing officers to match images of suspects — from CCTV, doorbell cameras or dashcams — against the photos of over 45 million citizens.
Policing Minister Sarah Jones has defended the measure, stating that the technology has already helped remove thousands of dangerous criminals from the streets. However, the announcement has sparked major concerns. Silky Carlo, a campaigner with Big Brother Watch, warned that the plan could turn Britain into “an open-air prison,” putting citizens at risk of misidentification and injustice.