Met Police Accessed Controversial Face Search Site, Documents Reveal

London’s Metropolitan Police are facing privacy concerns after a Freedom of Information request exposed that officers accessed the controversial facial recognition website PimEyes over 2,000 times in a recent three-month period.

PimEyes, a search engine that allows users to locate images of individuals across the open internet, has raised alarms among privacy advocates who fear its potential for misuse and unchecked surveillance.

The Metropolitan Police assert that the recorded instances of access may have been related to officers conducting research on the software itself, and have blocked access to PimEyes in the meantime. The force emphasizes its adherence to existing safeguards and protocols surrounding the use of facial recognition technology.

“Since this access has been flagged, we have strengthened existing safeguards and have now blocked access to this site on Met devices,” said a spokesperson.

The incident throws a spotlight on the ongoing debate about law enforcement’s use of facial recognition systems. While proponents argue that the technology offers a valuable tool in investigations, critics express deep concerns over the erosion of privacy and the potential for abuse of such unregulated technologies.

Privacy campaigners – such as Big Brother Watch, a non-partisan British civil liberties and privacy campaign group founded in 2009 – maintain that unrestricted facial recognition poses a significant threat to individual liberties, with concerns about the potential for stalking, harassment, and the creation of a broader surveillance state.

“It is entirely inappropriate for police officers to use PimEyes… Facial recognition technology is dangerously unregulated in Britain and the information commissioner should step in to safeguard the British public from these Orwellian facial recognition tools,” said Jake Hurfurt, Head of Research and Investigations at Big Brother Watch.

Source: iNews

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May 6, 2024 — by Tony Bitzionis