Facial recognition during coronation

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.030261

I note you seek access to the following information:

This FOI request concerns the use of facial recognition technology during the policing of the coronation on the weekend of 6-8 May 2023.

Please provide the following information:

1. The number of people on the watchlist used to identify people using facial recognition cameras.
2. The number of people identified by facial recognition cameras due to their being on the watchlist, and any arrests made. Please break the arrest numbers down by the reason for arrest or for their being on the watchlist.
3. A list of the reasons for which the people on the watchlist were of interest to the police. If held, please indicate the number of people against each of the reasons.
4. Any data protection impact assessment or other document indicating that data protection laws were considered before the technology was used.
5. Any Equality Impact Assessment or other documentary evidence that the Public Sector Equality Act was considered before the technology was used.
6. Copies of any internal operational guidance for the use of facial recognition and appropriate action to follow regarding any matches against the watchlist over that 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 - Personal Information

Reason for decision

- 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

• A list of the reasons for which the people on the watchlist were of interest to the police. If held, please indicate the number of people against each of the reasons.

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

The MPS Facial Recognition website will have all of the other information requested at - Live Facial Recognition | Metropolitan Police