Facial recognition analytics over the coronation weekend

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.030258

I note you seek access to the following information:

I understand that police used facial recognition and/or video analytics technology with public space CCTV as part of its policing operation during the coronation weekend.

1. Please could you confirm how many individual people were identified using CCTV equipped with video analytics during the coronation weekend, who were attending, or likely to attend, coronation events?

2. Did the police pro-actively upload or select "mug-shots" or other personal information of people deemed to be "persons of interest" to CCTV connected video analytics software with the intention of identifying them and/or monitoring their attendance at, and travel to, coronation events?

2.1 If so, how many "mug-shots," or other personal information, were uploaded to the software? How many individuals did this data relate to? How many of these "persons of interest" had an existing criminal record? How many did not have a criminal record?

2.2 If so, how many "persons of interest" were known protesters with links to campaign groups that have previously held high profile protests. Which protest groups did these "persons of interest" belong to, and how many people from each protest group had their "mug-shots" or personal information added to CCTV video analytics searches during the coronation weekend?

3. How many people who were identified using CCTV over the coronation weekend were subsequently arrested, cautioned, or received some other kind of "real-world" intervention from a police officer in connection with a coronation event?

4. How many people who were identified or "flagged" by CCTV video analytics software over the coronation weekend were subsequently found to have been mis-identified - or were considered as "false positives," for any reason?

5. Please provide the name, version and supplier details of the CCTV video analytics software used over the coronation weekend.

6. How many people who were identified or "flagged" by CCTV video analytics software over the coronation weekend were known to live in London? How many were known to live in England, but outside London? How many were known to live in Scotland? How many were known to live in Northern Ireland? How many were known to live in Wales? How many were known to live outside the UK?

For the avoidance of doubt, I seek data on people that were identified during the coronation weekend - Thursday 4 May - Tuesday 9 of May inclusive.

Where questions relate to planned policing activities, such as uploading and preparing data for video analytics software please consider this request to cover a wider timescale - the previous 12 months to the coronation weekend.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose some of the requested information. Some data has been withheld as it is exempt from disclosure and therefore this response serves as a Refusal Notice under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) by virtue of the following exemptions:

Section 40(2)(3)&(4) – Personal Information

Reason for decision

Section 40 Personal Information - Section 3 of the Data Protection Act 2018 confirms that information which relates to an identified or identifiable living individual is Personal Data.

The Freedom of Information Act provides an exemption for Personal Data and this is known as the section 40 exemption.

The information sought under your Freedom of Information request includes the following which we consider to be Personal Data

• How many people who were identified or "flagged" by CCTV video analytics software over the coronation weekend were known to live in London? How many were known to live in England, but outside London? How many were known to live in Scotland? How many were known to live in Northern Ireland? How many were known to live in Wales? How many were known to live outside the UK?

Where the request is seeking access to third party personal data the section 40(2) exemption may be engaged.

In order to apply the Section 40(2) exemption the disclosure of the requested information must satisfy either the first, second or third conditions as defined by subsections 3A, 3B and 4A of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (as amended by Schedule 19 of the Data Protection Act 2018, specifically Section 58 of that schedule).

The first condition ensures that the exemption would apply in circumstances where the disclosure of the information would breach any of the Data Protection Act 2018 principles.

There are six Data Protection principles set out in the 2018 act and these can be found at section 34.

In this instance I have decided that the disclosure of the Personal Data would be incompatible with the first Data Protection principle which states that the processing (in this case the disclosure) of the data must be both lawful and fair.

Disclosure

Please note that this disclosure is regarding the overt use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) software.

Q1 - Please could you confirm how many individual people were identified using CCTV equipped with video analytics during the coronation weekend, who were attending, or likely to attend, coronation events?

No information is held for video analytics technology but in the interest of assisting you we can confirm Live Facial Recognition software was used rather than video analytics. Therefore we have attached the link to the LFR deployment grid which holds this information. LFR Deployment Grid (met.police.uk)

Q2 - Did the police pro-actively upload or select "mug-shots" or other personal information of people deemed to be "persons of interest" to CCTV connected video analytics software with the intention of identifying them and/or monitoring their attendance at, and travel to, coronation events?

No information is held for video analytics technology but in the interest of assisting you we can confirm Live Facial Recognition software was used rather than video analytics. Therefore we have attached the link to the LFR deployment grid which will outline the purpose for persons being placed on a watchlist. LFR Deployment Grid (met.police.uk)

Q2.1 - If so, how many "mug-shots," or other personal information, were uploaded to the software? How many individuals did this data relate to? How many of these "persons of interest" had an existing criminal record? How many did not have a criminal record?

No information is held for video analytics technology but in the interest of assisting you we can confirm Live Facial Recognition software was used rather than video analytics. The deployment grid link will assist. We have also attached the link below which will take you to the SOP – This explains the categories of who can go on a watchlist. Protective marking: (met.police.uk)

Q2.2 - If so, how many "persons of interest" were known protesters with links to campaign groups that have previously held high profile protests. Which protest groups did these "persons of interest" belong to, and how many people from each protest group had their "mug-shots" or personal information added to CCTV video analytics searches during the coronation weekend?

No information is held.

Q3 - How many people who were identified using CCTV over the coronation weekend were subsequently arrested, cautioned, or received some other kind of "real-world" intervention from a police officer in connection with a coronation event?

If related to the LFR technology used then please see link - LFR Deployment Grid (met.police.uk)

Q4 - How many people who were identified or "flagged" by CCTV video analytics software over the coronation weekend were subsequently found to have been mis-identified - or were considered as "false positives," for any reason?

If relating to LFR then please see - LFR Deployment Grid (met.police.uk)

Q5 - Please provide the name, version and supplier details of the CCTV video analytics software used over the coronation weekend.

No information is held as it relates to Video Analytics technology but in the interests of being helpful if this is asking about LFR technology this information is publically available - LFR technology is supplied by NEC.

Q6 - How many people who were identified or "flagged" by CCTV video analytics software over the coronation weekend were known to live in London? How many were known to live in England, but outside London? How many were known to live in Scotland? How many were known to live in Northern Ireland? How many were known to live in Wales? How many were known to live outside the UK?

This is exempt for LFR technology under S40(2) Personal Information.