NeoFace Watch facial recognition system

NeoFace Watch is a facial recognition system used to fight crime, improve public safety, and prevent fraud.

Developed by Japanese company NEC and marketed globally by its subsidiary NEC Software Solutions UK (formerly Northgate Public Services), the system can be used for real-time facial recognition and to search against archived video and static images.

Risks and harms 🛑

NeoFace Watch has raised concerns about its inaccuracy, bias and privacy, as well as about NEC's transparency and accountability.

Incidents and issues 🔥

• Youth advocacy worker misidentified by Met Police facial recognition system

Research, advocacy 🧮

• Gikay A.A. (2023). REGULATING USE BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES OF LIVE FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY IN PUBLIC SPACES: AN INCREMENTAL APPROACH

• Big Brother Watch (2018). Face Off - The lawless growth of facial recognition in UK policing (pdf)

Investigations, assessments, audits 🧐

• Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy (2022). A Sociotechnical Audit: Assessing Police Use of Facial Recognition (pdf)

• Bateman W., Powles J. (2021). Legal Audit of AI in the Public Sector

• National Physical Laboratory (2020). Metropolitan Police Service Live Facial Recognition Trials (pdf)

• Fussey, P., Murray, D. (2019). Independent Report on the London Metropolitan Police Service’s Trial of Live Facial Recognition Technology

• Cardiff University (2018). AN EVALUATION OF SOUTH WALES POLICE’S USE OF AUTOMATED FACIAL RECOGNITION (pdf)