Immigrants convicted of criminal offenses will be required to use smartwatches fitted with facial recognition technology to scan their faces up to five times a day, according to plans by the Home Office and Ministry of Justice. In May, the government awarded British technology company Buddi Limited a contract to provide non-installed devices to monitor specific groups of people as part of the Home Office’s satellite tracking service. The scheme will be rolled out across the UK from the autumn at an initial cost of £6 million.
The charity Privacy International has obtained a copy of the Home Office Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for August 2021 through a Freedom of Information request, which assesses the impact of smartwatch technology before contracting with suppliers. In the document, seen by The Guardian, the Home Office said the plan would involve “routine monitoring of individual migrants under surveillance” by requiring them to wear a suitable ankle tag or a smartwatch and carry it with them at all times.
Those who must wear the device will be required to complete regular monitoring checks throughout the day by taking a photo of themselves on the smartwatch, and information including their name, date of birth, nationality and photo will be stored for up to six years. Locations will be tracked 24/7 and will allow tracking monitoring data to be recorded.
Photographs taken with the smartwatch will be cross-checked with biometric facial images from the Home Office system, and if image verification fails, the checks must be performed manually. The data will be shared with the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and police, and the contract redacts the number of devices that will be produced and the cost of each smartwatch, and makes no mention of risk assessments.
The U.K. Home Office said the smartwatch program would target foreign criminals who have been convicted of criminal offenses, not other groups. In a June report by the National Audit Office, the government said it sees electronic monitoring as a cost-effective alternative to detention that helps meet its goals of protecting the public and reducing recidivism.
