Police upload data to facial recognition database

From the BBC:

"Police forces in England and Wales have uploaded up to 18 million "mugshots" to a facial recognition database - despite a court ruling it could be unlawful."

"They include photos of people never charged, or others cleared of an offence, and were uploaded without Home Office approval, Newsnight has learned..."

"The database complies with the Data Protection Act, police insisted." [Where have we heard that one before ?]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31105678

From 21st Century Wire:

"Far from tracking criminals, the new system may eventually be used to track and monitor individuals who hold what authorities consider to be "anti-government views". This could range from anyone engaged in a lawsuit against the police or government, to anti-fracking activists, anti-big pharma, anti-GMO, anti-vaccine, parents who home-school their children, or even journalists who hold opinions that differ from the government’s official party line."

"Common sense and history dictates that once a system such as this is in place – no matter how many assurances central government Mandarins might give to symposium panels and media – there is absolutely nothing that can really prevent a centralized police apparatus from both over-using and misusing these power Big Data capabilities. It’s inevitable, and British police have said as much, with UK Chief Constable Mike Barton, of the Association of Chief Police Officers, boasting, "Everybody is very keen that the police enter the cyber world."

http://21stcenturywire.com/2015/02/03/its-official-britain-launches-big-brother-system-uploads-one-third-of-population-to-facial-recognition-database/

From Big Brother Watch:
 
"A survey conducted by the  NASUWT teaching union, has highlighted that teachers are being subjected to "permanent surveillance" through the use of CCTV cameras in the classroom."

"What is clear is that the surveillance experiment of the past twenty years has failed to reduce crime or improve public safety. Yet, schoolchildren and teachers across the country are now expected to accept surveillance for the formative years of their education and in the workplace."

"The Class of 1984, sheds light for the first time on the extent of surveillance within schools, highlighting that there are more than 100,000 CCTV cameras in secondary schools and academies across England, Wales and Scotland." [What is to happen to the data ?]

http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/