Arabic version: شرطة غرب أستراليا تطلق تجربة تقنية التعرف على الوجه الحي

Western Australia will become the first place in the country to implement live facial recognition technology for police use. A marked police van will be deployed at major events and crowded areas to scan the faces of individuals, matching them against a database of people with outstanding arrest warrants, registered child sex offenders, and missing persons. According to ABC News, the trial will begin with a single van equipped with standalone cameras.

Police Commissioner Col Blanch emphasized that the initiative aims to enhance community safety without infringing on privacy rights. He stated that images of individuals not on the database will be deleted almost immediately and will appear pixelated to officers monitoring the technology. “This is actually a way that we can increase the freedoms and the privacy of our community,” Blanch remarked.

While the current trial involves one marked van, the commissioner did not dismiss the possibility of using covert technology in the future, especially if there is intelligence indicating potential threats at events. He mentioned upcoming events, such as the Land Forces defence expo in October, where the technology might be utilized if necessary.

Blanch also clarified that the technology would not be used at protests unless there is credible intelligence suggesting a significant risk of harm. He expressed a desire for a transparent conversation with the community regarding the technology’s use, ensuring that public concerns are addressed as the trial progresses.