Big Brother or 'nothing to hide'? A city's AI cameras split opinion

Opinions seem to be mixed on the use of AI live facial recognition (LFR) technology in a city centre.

Cambridgeshire Police deployed the system in Peterborough for a second time, aiming to identify individuals who may pose a risk to public safety.

The technology uses live camera feeds to scan faces and compare them in real time against a watchlist of high-risk individuals.

Is it a harmless tool that improves safety or a step towards a "Big Brother" society? Here is what people in the city had to say.

Frank Barnes said: "The only people who are not comfortable are the people who have got a problem with it because they're doing something they shouldn't be.

"It's a security and safety issue, isn't it? So I think it's a good thing.

"I think times have changed and that's the way we're going with AI in it the future."

Amanda Barnes added: "I mean, if you've not done nothing wrong then you shouldn't have a problem with them [police] looking at your face and seeing who you are.

"It hopefully will catch some criminals that are walking the streets and there's plenty of them about."

The pair said seeing police officers in the centre offered "reassurance" to shoppers.

A mum-of-two, who did not want to be named, said the police presence made her "feel safe", but added she was "not a fan of the facial scanning because I think it's an overstep."

Zainab Ali-Jabar said: "I don't really like it. It's very uncomfortable knowing that they're just watching everyone.

"And sometimes I walk around the van so it doesn't look at me. Not that I've done nothing wrong, but I just find it really weird."

Molly Kelsey: "When you see police here it's not normal. It just makes us feel uncomfortable, to be honest.

"You're thinking something must be going on because they're never usually here and it doesn't really make me feel safe."

Chantelle, who did not give her surname, said: "I don't really mind it. I think of it as if you've got nothing to hide, then why are you complaining?

"I think it's probably necessary. I mean you've got so many people who come out of the prisons that probably shouldn't have come out of the prisons? Some people you just don't want on the streets."

Eve, who did not wish to give her surname, said: "I am not happy about it. It's unacceptable.

"We should have been better notified as citizens, because we are the ones that are being recorded. Their efforts to notify people via social media and a QR code is not good enough.

"I was a data analyst for over 10 years, so as someone who knows exactly how it is stored and processed, what they do with it - you do not want them to have your data, just trust me on that."

The force said the vans on Friday were clearly marked, with signage explaining facial recognition was in use, and additional signs were placed near the vans with QR codes linking to information about how the system works.

Insp Sam Tucker said: "The technology is really good at being able to identify outstanding suspects. Our ambition from today is to try and engage with those individuals, hopefully leading to some arrests and positive interaction.

"We're also using the officers that are deployed not just to engage with people that are identified but engage with anybody who wants to know about the deployment".

The force also acknowledged people's concerns with regard to privacy.

A spokesperson said: "Data collected via LFR is handled according to data protection laws and regulations.

"Images of people who do not match anyone on the watchlist are immediately deleted and cannot be recovered.

"All CCTV footage from mobile deployments is deleted within 31 days unless it is required for an investigation."

Tucker added: "So before we deployed this, we spoke to a number of different community groups, tried to allay any fears around that.

During its first use on 19 May, police scanned 34,000 faces in a six-hour operation on Bridge Street and Long Causeway, leading to the arrest of two men wanted for failing to appear in court - one accused of theft from a person and the other of shoplifting.

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