Dr Daragh Murray spoke to The Irish Times about the use of facial recognition technology in Ireland.
Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay
Concerns about the potential use of facial recognition technology (FRT) by An Garda Síochána (the national police and security service of the Republic of Ireland) have been raised by a number of specialist academics who warned of its “chilling effects” and potential social harms.
The technology has prompted ongoing debate in Ireland, since being introduced by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, primarily along human rights grounds.
Dr Daragh Murray, Senior Lecturer at the School of Law in Queen Mary University of London, sought to highlight the potential “chilling effects”.
“Facial recognition represents a step-change in police surveillance capability,” he said, telling the committee he advocated for a moratorium on its use.
“Both live and retrospective facial recognition makes possible the ability to monitor, track and profile large amounts of the population with significant private life implications.”
Read the full article on The Irish Times.