New speed cameras ‘take picture of drivers’ faces and send them to police’
There’s growing outrage over the deployment of new speed cameras equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) that capture images of drivers’ faces and forward them to the police[1]. These advanced cameras are being introduced as research from the Department for Transport indicates that as many as 400,000 UK drivers may still be using handheld devices while driving.
Privacy advocates are incensed by the proposed widespread implementation of AI-powered cameras. These sophisticated devices snap two shots of a motorist: one at a shallow angle to check for phone usage near the ear, and another at a steep angle to detect if a device is on their lap.
In response to privacy worries, authorities assert that the photos are anonymised by obscuring identifiable details such as the vehicle’s number plate, passengers, or make. Only when a driver faces prosecution are the images linked to vehicle registration information.
Jake Hurfurt, head of research and investigations at the privacy advocacy group Big Brother Watch, expressed his concerns to the Daily Telegraph: “Unproven AI-powered video analytics should not be used to monitor and potentially criminalise drivers.”
He further argued, “This kind of intrusive and creepy surveillance which treats every passer-by as a potential suspect is excessive and normalising it poses a threat to everyone’s privacy. People should be free to go about their lives without being analysed by faceless AI systems,” reports Birmingham Live[2].
Surveillance cameras on one of Devon’s busiest roads, the A30 near Launceston, caught 130 people not wearing seatbelts during a 72-hour trial last year. These cameras have been mounted on vans and integrated into speed cameras in various locations.
In response to the increased surveillance, one motorist commented: “Who can explain why people in cars less than a few years old feel the need to hold their phone. Surely all new cars have a hands-free facility. Range Rover drivers seem particularly bad for this.”
Another expressed frustration, saying: “You miss the point. This isn’t about road safety. Of course I’m using a phone whilst driving is dangerous, but this is about surveillance. How long before we all have to have cameras inside our cars monitoring our every move? This slow inexorable increase in watching our every move is exactly what George Orwell and Aldous Huxley warned us about.”
References
- ^ police (www.nottinghampost.com)
- ^ Birmingham Live (www.birminghammail.co.uk)