Facial Recognition Surveillance: Policing and Human Rights in the Age of Artificial Intelligence - Daragh Murray

Speaker

Daragh is a Reader in International Law & Human Rights at Queen Mary University of London. He has been awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship to examine the impact of artificial intelligence on individual identity development and the functioning of democratic societies. This 7 year project runs until January 2029 with a current focus on (a) the use of AI in decision-making or decision-support contexts, including by law enforcement, intelligence agencies, the military and for social welfare provision,  (b) understanding the ‘chilling effects’ of surveillance, and (c) developing appropriate (due diligence) guidance to inform pre-deployment decisions. 

Abstract

Facial Recognition Surveillance: Policing and Human Rights in the Age of Artificial Intelligence explores the rapid growth and controversy surrounding facial recognition technology (FRT) in policing. Based on rare ethnographic access to police FRT deployments, the book examines how FRT transforms police practices, surveillance capabilities, and human rights protections. It critiques the scientific and legal narratives that support FRT’s expansion and introduces concepts like ‘compound human rights harm’. Drawing from sociology, technology studies, and human rights theory, the book presents FRT as a socio-technical system that fundamentally reshapes the nature of policing. This talk will focus on current police facial recognition deployments in the UK - in light of significantly expanded use - and will also draw on research into the 'chilling effects' of surveillance, conducted in collaboration with the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly.