Paul, who gives a sh1te, are you planning terrorism? Are you watching and encouraging the production of child abuse? No! I think not.No problem with people tracking what you do on t’interweb if you aren’t doing owt wrong!
Ffs
Ah, yes, the “nothing to fear if you are doing no wrong” argument.
The fallacy of this is well established.
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Boll@cks, I have worked in a number of roles which are aimed at catching “baddies”.
Your argument against this type of security is w@nk.
So many people who say this is a breach of our liberties, go on to say-
WTF have the police/security services done!
Usually I take this sort of descent into insult as a sign that I have won the argument.
History is riddled with instances where innocent people have been persecuted having done no wrong - from atrocities committed by the SS, Stasi & Volkspolizei to those who have conveniently “disappeared” in China for championing human rights.
Huffy, I take it, is a description of your personality?
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Oooooh harsh, Paul,
First I must apologise for the comment to which you replied, it was wrong and should not have been sent.
“History is riddled with instances where innocent people have been persecuted having done no wrong - from atrocities committed by the SS, Stasi & Volkspolizei to those who have conveniently “disappeared” in China for championing human rights.
Please crawl back under whichever stone you slimed out from.
Huffy, I take it, is a description of your personality?”
Your last sentence is a little rude, however in response to the “door handle” remark- touché
I am not slime, I spent nearly 30 years as a police officer in the UK.
The ‘historical ‘ incidents you refer to, do not have anything to do with face recognition.
I want to preserve peace, love and life. I am a socialist, but also a realist.
Again I am sorry for the “door handle comment”
I do however feel that you owe me an apology too.
My name is Hough, I have always been known as “huffy”.
You have been very personal.
Good grief… I’ve only been away a few hours… and the heated posts in this thread have nearly set my computer on fire 
Can we call it quits… and start the week afresh… please… ??? 
As a matter of interest, do we know how many/which countries already use the FCR technology… ???
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Good morning Stella, most if not all european airports use FCR as well as most european ports. The tunnel train uses it as well.
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Fair enough… I shall try to make sure I look presentable…
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OK, my comment was a bit below the belt and I have removed it.
No, the groups I have mentioned did not have access to facial recognition - but the point is that you don’t have to look far to find examples, historical and current, where the state and/or agents of the state are not benign, and then techology hands them a weapon like face recognition.
If you were a serving officer for 30 years can you honestly claim that every case you were involved in, every conviction secured, was the result of diligent, thorough and fair police and detective work - none that were just a bit dodgy? Especially if your experience stretches back to the 70’s and 80’s
The scope for abuse of this technology is massive in a way that EngSoc would have drooled over.
For starters it is not 100% reliable so if you are picked out mistakenly your life can quickly become very difficult - especially as the technology is new so the authorities, especially officers on the ground are liable to accept it as reliable. Early DNA analysis was believed to be more reliable than it actually was leading to documented miscarriages of justice, and the early days of the TSA “no fly” list were rife with names which shouldn’t have been included and people detained because they happened to have the “wrong name”; pretty certain this still happens quite a bit.
But if coupled with the will to abuse it, it’s all pretty sinister - and it doesn’t have to be targeting an individual per-se; suppose that just being seen “somewhere unusual” is enough to get you pulled in for questioning - that sort of pressure to conform is subtle and population wide, putting people in prisons where they can’t see the walls but they are, nonetheless, there.
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Two of them are now in jail becase they were too lazy to do the work on a child abuse case.
That is in UK.
Historically I have personal experience of not trusting the gendarmerie in Cluny.
It is the operators of this technology that worries me as well.
People who have been arrested, but not charged have their data on these databases.
People who attend legal demonstrations were also added to databases.
Definitely worrying.
You can add the threat of not pursuing rape claims if victims don’t hand over their mobile 'phones.
Whilst I can appreciate that there might be cases where that is necessary, I have no confidence that it will not be used sensitively.
Just look at how Cambridge Analytica used data from Facebook to target individuals via their computer before the Referendum.
We are still waiting to see these people in court.
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How worrying that a former police officer is not concerned that they are doing everything right.
There is a huge difference between protecting civil rights and the rightful prosecution of offenders.
Jane it is the operators who give this /these systems a bad repute. But to use a system such as FCR, they have to have a database to which the FCR can refer. I agree, wrongful arrests are made and generally due to the in adequate knowledge and experience of the operators (ie. those that sit oggling in the monitors), G4S being the prime one here. Every time you fly to spain or wherever and your passport is presented, the details are being held on a database somewhere in the world. It is at the end fof the day down to the operator, and much less the system.
I totally agree with and understand your reasoning.
There are many issues that could arise from the use of this technology.
But, I am happy to accept it if it helps diminish the chances of me getting blown up in a terrorist incident.
Unfortunately injustice exists, largely due to corruption and criminality. But also through twisted reasoning of what people think is justice.
Fortunately the death penalty does not exist in the UK, amongst other reasons unsafe and wrongful convictions are why I totally agree that it should not.
The UK, (I assume most of the EU) have very stringent control over the use of surveillance etc. Things can be abused, often by States, to control their own citizens.
On the whole, as Europeans going about our normal life lawfully we will never be troubled by the issues to which we have referred.
It is a fine balance.
I have no problem with carrying an ID card, because it has been normal for me since I was a child, I.e. bus/train pass, student card, driving licence and warrant card. (Now my treasured titre de séjour).
But many civil liberties groups in the UK have issues with mandatory ID cards, thus making technology more useful.
How do these proponents of civil liberties deal with the same issue when they move to live, or visit European nations, where many necessitate the carrying of ID?
We could go on forever…
Take care
Whilst i dont necessarily agree to this happening, there are some cases where if it had happened, the alleged victim would have been in the dock, not the hard working, innocent, Joe, who’s life has been ruined by the malicious “victim” who was also known to the west midlands plod for their allegations.
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Absolutely.
It is demeaning and whilst my DNA was not taken I was forced to attend the gendarmerie to have my fingerprints taken and photographed , even though the Prosecutor had refused to take the case they had brought against me.
When I asked why, I was told that the Cluny Chief wanted it done to tidy up the file.
So me, an innocent person, was humiliated and totally distressed to tidy up a file.
The sergeant actually tried to shake hands as we left!
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Jane, where do you get that reasoning from, everything should be done right. I am however referring to the balance between safety and civil liberties.
I nearly cried when I read your comment, cutting 
I think the reassuring part there is that they are in jail,they were found out and punished