The UK government is preparing to grant new powers to the police, enabling them to use facial recognition technology to scan images of criminals captured on CCTV against approximately 50 million driving license records. These proposed legal changes by the Home Office signify a significant step towards integrating facial recognition searches with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) database, which includes the details of most adult drivers.
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Police Minister Chris Philp has lauded the technology as a ‘game-changing’ tool in combating crime. He expressed his desire for all incidents of theft, including shoplifting and burglary captured on security cameras, to be cross-referenced against the Home Office’s passport and immigration databases. This initiative aims to enhance the efficiency of crime-solving where clear footage of the offender is available, such as in cases involving shop CCTV, dashcams, and video doorbells.
