Four paragraphs from the BBC News repot, quoting Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley:
"It's really important we're deploying it where there's an intelligence basis to do so," he told board members.
"That's one of the safeguards - that you're not using it as mass surveillance tool - you're using it in particular places where there is intelligence based to say this may actually make people safer."
Sir Mark added that although there may be a case for using the technology at future protests, it would need to be balanced with freedom of speech concerns, as it could have a "chilling effect".
"And the intelligence picture at the weekend - that we had before the event - didn't justify that," he added.
Live facial recognition (#LFR) was not used to police the #UniteTheKingdom rally in #London. No "intelligence basis" for it, #MetropolitanPolice Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told #LondonPolicingBoard.
Rowley was challenged on the difference in approach at […]
[Original post on mastodon.ie]