2022/25597 - Facial Recognition
REQUEST
I write to request information and records under the FOIA in relation to your force's use of Facial Recognition, specifically:
- A copy of any policy document outlining the use of Live Facial Recognition by your force
- A copy of any policy document outlining the use of Retrospective Facial Recognition [other than the searching of custody images on the PND]
- A copy of any policy document outlining the use of Operator Initiated Facial Recognition by your force
- A copy of any policy document outlining the use of PND "face searching" of custody photos by your force
- Any documents outlining any plans to trial, introduce or test any kind of facial recognition [Live, Retrospective, Operator Initiated] by your force
RESPONSE
- A copy of any policy document outlining the use of Live Facial Recognition by your force
Gwent Police are not currently utilising LFR
- A copy of any policy document outlining the use of Retrospective Facial Recognition [other than the searching of custody images on the PND]
Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires Gwent Police, when refusing to provide information by way of exemption, to provide you with a notice which: (a) states that fact, (b) specifies the exemption in question and (c) states why the exemption applies. In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 this letter acts as a refusal notice to those aspects of your request.
We are not obliged to provide information if the information held is intended for future publication and exempt this information under Section 22(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act.
The legislation: Section 22 Information intended for future publication
(1) Information is exempt information if-
(a) The information is held by the public authority with a view to its publication, by the authority or any other person, at some future date (whether determined or not)
(b) The information was already held with a view to such publication at the time when the request for information was made, and
(c) It is reasonable in all the circumstances that the information should be withheld from disclosure until the date referred to in paragraph (a)
Section 22 is a qualified exemption and as such is subject to a public interest test. This means that Gwent Police have identified the exemption and have considered whether the public interest in not disclosing the information outweighed the public interest test in disclosing the information. Although there is a public interest in knowing the details of FOI requests as this leads to greater transparency, Section 22 allows for circumstances when it is reasonable and correct for public authorities to delay the provision of information until it is made generally available through publication.
- A copy of any policy document outlining the use of Operator Initiated Facial Recognition by your force
Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires Gwent Police, when refusing to provide information by way of exemption, to provide you with a notice which: (a) states that fact, (b) specifies the exemption in question and (c) states why the exemption applies. In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 this letter acts as a refusal notice to those aspects of your request.
We are not obliged to provide information if the information held is intended for future publication and exempt this information under Section 22(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act.
The legislation: Section 22 Information intended for future publication
(1) Information is exempt information if-
(a) The information is held by the public authority with a view to its publication, by the authority or any other person, at some future date (whether determined or not)
(b) The information was already held with a view to such publication at the time when the request for information was made, and
(c) It is reasonable in all the circumstances that the information should be withheld from disclosure until the date referred to in paragraph (a)
Section 22 is a qualified exemption and as such is subject to a public interest test. This means that Gwent Police have identified the exemption and have considered whether the public interest in not disclosing the information outweighed the public interest test in disclosing the information. Although there is a public interest in knowing the details of FOI requests as this leads to greater transparency, Section 22 allows for circumstances when it is reasonable and correct for public authorities to delay the provision of information until it is made generally available through publication.
- A copy of any policy document outlining the use of PND "face searching" of custody photos by your force
This would sit with PND and would not be a Gwent Police Document to release.
- Any documents outlining any plans to trial, introduce or test any kind of facial recognition [Live, Retrospective, Operator Initiated] by your force.
No further tests or trials are currently planned outside of those we have already made reference to.