Retroactive facial recognition (RFR) is where technology is utilised after an event to help establish who somebody is, checking if their image matches against other media held in a database. According to Philp, “every force uses RFR to some extent already,” but its use varies between police forces “and could be greatly increased.”

In his recent letter written to police chiefs, the policing minister pushed for RFR search increases, stating that it will be possible to exceed 200,000 searches of still images against the Police National Database by early summer if a “concerted effort” from all forces in England and Wales is made.

As well as more AI-enabled retroactive facial recognition searches, he also reinforced his support for use of live facial recognition (LFR). LFR is where cameras stream images of people in a specific — and usually dense — area in real-time to a facial recognition system.

The usage of live facial recognition in particular has come under consistent fire from rights and privacy groups, such as Big Brother Watch. Big Brother Watch’s director Silkie Carlo, for instance, previously said that LFR has the potential to “turn us into walking ID cards living in a surveillance state.”

Speaking on why he’s urged for more facial recognition use, the crime and policing minister said: “AI technology is a powerful tool for good, with huge opportunities to advance policing and cut crime. We are committed to making sure police have the systems they need to solve and prevent crimes, bring offenders to justice, and protect the public.

“Facial recognition, including live facial recognition, has a sound legal basis that has been confirmed by the courts and has already enabled a large number of serious criminals to be caught, including for murder and sexual offences.

“This is not about acquiring new kit and deploying new tech for the sake of it; it is about staying one step ahead of criminals; delivering smarter, more effective policing and, ultimately, making our streets safer.”

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Philp’s advocacy comes just weeks after a coalition of cross-party parliamentarians, rights and equality groups, and technology experts called for the immediate stop to live facial recognition surveillance from the police and private companies.

Backed by the likes of former Brexit secretary David Davis, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, and Green MP Caroline Lucas, the coalition warned against the “serious concerns” surrounding the deployment and use of the controversial technology.

However, in another nod to the UK government’s efforts to scale up efforts on this front, a “market exploration” of facial recognition technologies was launched by DASA on behalf of the Home Office last month.

The aim of it is to help the Home Office “have a better understanding of current technologies that could enhance facial recognition capabilities.”

Meanwhile, over in Europe, the European Parliament has recently endorsed a blanket ban on police using AI-powered facial recognition under its AI Act.