Latest news with #facialRecognition
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong lawmakers call for facial recognition system at upgraded land crossing
Hong Kong legislators have called for facial recognition technology to be adopted at the upgraded Huanggang land crossing while giving an initial green light to a HK$1.75 billion government proposal to site border clearance facilities in the complex. At a meeting of the Legislative Council's security panel on Monday, some lawmakers also expressed concern that the expanded Huanggang checkpoint, which was designed to handle 200,000 passengers and 15,000 vehicles every day between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, could overload nearby traffic. In addition to co-location arrangements that allow travellers to clear immigration channels in both jurisdictions at a single site, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung told the panel that a new clearance model would be adopted. The two governments would set up counters side by side inside the port to enhance border clearance efficiency, he said. The 'collaborative inspection and joint clearance' model, currently used at some checkpoints between Macau and Zhuhai, will allow travellers to queue up once for immigration clearance, shortening the time from around half an hour to five minutes. 'These efforts aim to facilitate the efficient and smooth flow of people and goods, and thus strengthen the connectivity between Hong Kong and other cities in the Greater Bay Area,' Tang said.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Policing operation underway as British GP starts
Facial recognition, armed officers and search teams would be on hand during the British Grand Prix, a police force said. About 480,000 people were expected to attend the 2025 Formula 1 Qatar Airways British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Northamptonshire Police said it would deliver a robust policing operation from Thursday until Sunday. Supt Pete Basham, event commander for the force, said: "This is a major operation involving a wide range of policing resources, as well as support from other emergency services and partner agencies." Supt Basham said: "It is a great opportunity to engage with the public, but give that wider reassurance that we are here to promote public safety." He said they will have officers "inside the circuit on patrol" for music events and "specialist community operations" outside of the perimeter. Officers are also on standby with a traffic operation in place "to ensure smooth" access and exit from the site. "It is a huge event for the county, and so our approach will be reflective of that." "We are here if people need us," he added. Live Facial Recognition was introduced to the event in 2023 and will be in operation again, police said. The technology works by using a camera to scan faces to match biometrics against those held on a watch list. In addition to uniformed and plainclothed officers, specialist resources, including armed officers, search teams, disruption officers, and Automatic Number Plate Recognition units, were set to patrol the circuit. Supt Basham added: "We start planning for this event when last year's event ends. We do a structured debrief and look at what has gone wrong. We look at crime data that comes in and use all of that information to plan our response for next year." People started to arrive for the UK's biggest sporting event on Thursday. On Sunday, about 160,000 are expected to be in attendance to watch the main race. Police encouraged visitors to the event to look at the crime prevention and safety advice on their website to prepare them for their visit. There will also be concerts with performers including Sam Fender, RAYE, Fat Boy Slim and Becky Hill. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Silverstone F1 fans told to plan their journeys British GP fans warned of counterfeit ticket sales Facial recognition to be used at Silverstone again British GP to stay at Silverstone until 2034 Mansell welcomes 'fantastic' Silverstone news Northamptonshire Police
Sky News
04-07-2025
- Sky News
Met Police release footage as more than 1,000 arrests made using live facial recognition technology
More than 1,000 criminals, including a paedophile found with a six-year-old girl, have been arrested by the Metropolitan Police using live facial recognition (LFR) cameras. David Cheneler, 73, was among 93 registered sex offenders held by Met officers using the controversial technology since the start of last year. He was discovered with the girl after he was identified by a camera on a police van in Camberwell, south London, in January. Cheneler, from Lewisham, was jailed for two years in May after admitting breaching his sexual harm prevention order by being with a child under the age of 14. The Met said a total of 1,035 arrests have been made using live facial recognition technology - where live footage is recorded of people as they walk past, capturing their faces, which are then compared against a database of wanted offenders. If a match is determined, the system creates an alert which is assessed by an officer, who may decide to speak to the person. They include more than 100 people alleged to have been involved in serious violence against women and girls (VAWG) offences such as strangulation, stalking, domestic abuse, and rape. Image: Adenola Akindutire admitted charges including robbery. Pic: Met Police Adenola Akindutire was stopped during an operation in Stratford and arrested over the machete robbery of a Rolex watch, which left the victim with life-changing injuries after the attack in Hayes, west London. Police said the 22-year-old, who was linked to a similar incident and had been released on bail, was in possession of a false passport and could have evaded arrest if it wasn't for the technology. Akindutire, of no fixed address, admitted charges including robbery, attempted robbery, grievous bodily harm, possession of a false identity document and two counts of possession of a bladed article and faces sentencing at Isleworth Crown Court. Image: Darren Dubarry was stopped on his bike. Pic: Met Police Image: Dubarry was caught with stolen designer clothes. Pic: Met Police Darren Dubarry, 50, was already wanted for theft when he was caught with stolen designer clothing in Dalston, east London, after riding past an LFR camera on his bike. The 50-year-old, from Stratford, east London, was fined after pleading guilty to handling stolen goods. Lindsey Chiswick, the Met's LFR lead, hailed the 1,000 arrest milestone as "a demonstration of how cutting-edge technology can make London safer by removing dangerous offenders from our streets". "Live Facial Recognition is a powerful tool, which is helping us deliver justice for victims, including those who have been subjected to horrendous offences, such as rape and serious assault," she said. "It is not only saving our officers' valuable time but delivering faster, more accurate results to catch criminals - helping us be more efficient than ever before." The Met say "robust safeguards" are in place, which ensure no biometric data is retained from anyone who walks past an LFR camera who isn't wanted by police. Almost 2 million faces scanned But human rights group Liberty is calling for new laws to be introduced to govern how police forces use the technology after Liberty Investigates found almost 1.9 million faces were scanned by the Met between January 2022 and March this year. Read more from Sky News: Leaseholders to get stronger rights, powers and protections PM told to 'use Rayner - people like her' Charlie Whelton, Liberty policy and campaigns officer, said: "We all want to feel safe in our communities, but technology is advancing quickly, and we need to make sure that our laws keep up. "Any tech which has the potential to infringe on our rights in the way scanning and identifying millions of people does needs to have robust safeguards around its use to protect us all from abuse of power as we go about our daily lives. "There is currently no overarching law governing police use of facial recognition in the UK, and we shouldn't leave police forces to come up with these frameworks on their own. "Almost two million faces have been scanned in London before Parliament has even decided what the laws should be. "We need to catch up with other countries, and the law needs to catch up with the use. Parliament must legislate now and ensure that safeguards are in place to protect people's rights where the police use this technology."
Gizmodo
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Gizmodo
‘We Live in a Surveillance State': Reddit Users Explode Over Reports of ICE's New Face and Fingerprint Scanning App
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is reportedly using a new tool called Mobile Fortify, a smartphone-based facial recognition and fingerprint scanning app that allows agents to identify people in real time using only a phone camera. The tool taps into the same biometric system used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at ports of entry. But ICE is now using it inside the U.S., in field operations across the country. According to internal ICE emails reviewed by 404 Media, the app is being deployed by Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the branch of ICE tasked with arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants. The app, reportedly called 'Mobile Fortify,' gives federal agents the power to use their phones to identify people in the field via facial recognition, a development that many online see as a horrifying leap forward for the surveillance state. The 404 Media report has ignited outrage on Reddit, where users are voicing deep concern about how far this technology could go and what it says about the direction of American governance. 'Surveillance state in full effect,' one user posted bluntly. 'The next step is to label anyone who opposes them a terrorist or criminal, strip you of any rights and probably use unconstitutional surveillance to find any dirt on you,' warned another. Others drew a straight line between mass surveillance and the erosion of civil liberties. 'We live in a surveillance state and anyone who believes otherwise reads too much Fox News,' said one user. 'Everyone mask up like it's COVID! We have already witnessed an attempted arrest and then release,' another user added. Some users offered practical resistance strategies—or at least suggestions for anonymity. 'I wonder if facial ID blocking glasses, like Reflectacles, would work on this. Apparently they block iPhone facial recognition,' said one commenter. 'Definitely wear a mask (preferably ones that hide your whole head, i.e. UV Blocking Balaclava), wear sunglasses and bring an umbrella. Also bring a flashlight, headlamp, flashlight with strobing capabilities,' wrote another. A few users expressed bitter disillusionment with the political divide over surveillance. 'Mass surveillance was something right-wingers always said they would fight against. Now that it's happening they aren't doing shit,' one user said. 'They are doing shit… they are doing the mass surveillance,' another replied, 'which is entirely made of shit.' 'They always figured that when authoritarianism came to the U.S., it would be left-wing. But since it's right-wing, they are fine with it,' added another. The most chilling posts reflected the loss of faith in institutional leadership altogether. 'Creepy. I remember noticing this at the airport a few years ago and how it felt Orwellian. I was right.' 'Wondering how long into the police state our remaining leaders will allow the country to slip before everything burns down,' wrote one user. 'We have been wholly betrayed by everyone who vowed to serve the public besides educators and emergency service workers. I have learned nothing this year that leads me to believe anyone of means gives enough fucks to stop any of this.' The growing backlash taps into long-standing fears that technologies built for border enforcement or national security are now being turned inward, aimed not just at suspects but potentially at anyone. Civil liberties groups have warned for years that biometric surveillance tools, especially those powered by AI and facial recognition, lack proper oversight and accountability and risk targeting marginalized communities. Gizmodo has reached out to ICE for comment on whether Mobile Fortify is currently in use and how the agency justifies deploying such tools in domestic operations. So far, no comment. For now, Reddit is sounding the alarm.
CBS News
02-07-2025
- CBS News
Nearly 2 million people expected to pass through Chicago airports for July 4th travel
Fourth of July travel is underway, and Chicago's airports are expecting some big crowds. At the same time, American Airlines is ramping up operations and rolling out new technology to help make sure passengers don't miss their connections. Sunday is expected to be the busiest day at both O'Hare and Midway airports. Between last Friday and this upcoming Monday, American Airlines will operate nearly 5,000 flights from O'Hare, that's 20 percent more than this time last year. To help with the crowds, both United and American airlines at O'Hare are using new technology that tracks passengers who might miss their connections. If holding a flight won't disrupt the schedule, they'll wait, giving travelers a little extra time to make it. At security, O'Hare is using facial recognition to identify international arrivals. It's called enhanced passenger processing, and it is meant to cut screening times from a minute to just 10 seconds. You will need your Real ID to fly. If your license or ID does not have a gold star in the corner, you'll need a passport or another acceptable form of identification to travel. A reminder, with the holiday rush and ongoing Kennedy Expressway construction, getting to O'Hare could take extra time. Both airports are reminding people to plan ahead, whether you're parking there, taking a rideshare, or hopping on public transit. If you are traveling and need some entertainment, there will be live entertainment at both airports. Check out the live music at Midway on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at O'Hare on Thursday and Monday. Can I get on a plane without a Real ID? Travelers will not be kicked off their flight if they don't have a Real ID. The Transportation Security Administration said if you don't have a Real ID or passport, you can still fly but you will have to submit to a more intense identity verification process that involves collecting personal information like your name and current address to confirm your identity. Once your identity is confirmed, you will then have to go through enhanced screening at TSA checkpoints. Other compliant forms of ID include a military identification card or a Trusted Traveler card from a program like Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST. A full list of acceptable IDs can be found on the TSA website. If you don't have acceptable ID, won't cooperate with additional identity verification, or your identity can't be confirmed, you will not be able to enter a security checkpoint. If your ID is non-compliant, you may also be pulled out to a separate area to complete your screening process.
