I am writing to express my profound objection to the use of facial recognition on the streets of Britain.
This intrusive form of surveillance violates basic principles of our democracy: the right to privacy, citizens' right to go about their business without undue interference and the right to be treated innocent until proven guilty.
Facial recognition, as used by South Wales Police, has already been ruled unlawful by the Court of Appeal and the EU is banning its use in public spaces.
It is therefore extremely disturbing to find that the British government is facilitating a national rollout of facial recognition while police forces around the country are introducing it without the knowledge or consent of citizens. I am aware that, for example, last year police forces scanned nearly five million faces and that live facial recognition vans are being regularly used on the streets in some areas.
The introduction of tactics commonly used in authoritarian states is taking place without any public debate or parliamentary scrutiny.
There have already been a number of instances of facial recognition mis-identifying people, resulting in great harm done to the individuals concerned and reputational damage for the organisations responsible.
There is also a well-documented risk that the use of facial recognition could reflect institutional or societal biases, so that technology amplifies discrimination. At the same time, there is little if any evidence that this kind of mass surveillance has any real impact on detecting criminals or solving crime.
The use of facial recognition will ultimately backfire, undermining public trust in both the government and police. It is important to remember that policing in Britain rests on consent and, with an increasingly alienated population, tackling crime will become even more difficult.
I urge you to bring the use of facial recognition technology to a speedy end. It has no place in a democratic society.