Irish government to legalize retrospective facial recognition technology

By lauraharris // 2025-05-19

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Ireland plans to legalize facial recognition technology (FRT) for An Garda Síochána (Irish police) by summer 2024. The Garda Síochána Bill 2023, previously delayed due to opposition, will permit retrospective FRT to analyze CCTV footage for criminal investigations.
The bill covers three forms of FRT, including retrospective (RFR), live (LFR) and operator initiated (OIFR).
FRT use is restricted to serious crimes (e.g., terrorism, murder) and requires pre-approval by a Chief Superintendent. A statutory code mandates human rights and data protection assessments, with oversight by courts and parliament.
Officials argue FRT speeds up investigations, replacing outdated methods. Justice Minister Helen McEntee emphasizes "necessary and proportionate" use with strict safeguards.
Critics warn of mass surveillance risks, flawed identifications and a slippery slope toward live tracking. Civil rights groups oppose unchecked expansion, fearing erosion of privacy despite current retrospective focus.

Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan has announced that the Irish government will legalize the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) by Ireland's national police service An Garda Síochána this summer. After years of political wrangling, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee secured government approval to advance legislation enabling An Garda Síochána to use FRT in criminal investigations in April. The Garda Síochána Bill 2023, previously shelved due to Green Party opposition, will allow biometric identification to retrospectively search CCTV footage and expedite investigations. Under the proposed system, AI-powered software would scan hours of CCTV or mobile footage in seconds, identifying suspects by matching facial data against police databases for faster, more accurate investigations. It comes in several forms, live facial recognition (LFR), which scans crowds in real-time, flagging individuals on police watchlists; retrospective facial recognition (RFR), which used post-crime to identify suspects from existing footage; and operator-initiated facial recognition (OIFR), which allows officers to manually snap and match photos against databases. Key provisions of the bill include limited use of FRT to serious offenses listed in the bill, including terrorism, murder, rape and public disorder; strict authorization pre-approved by a chief superintendent and deemed necessary and proportionate; and a statutory code of practice that requires human rights and data protection impact assessments, with oversight by the High Court and Oireachtas, the bicameral parliament of Ireland. (Related: Russia to launch nationwide facial recognition payment system this year.) "While allowing An Garda Síochána access to technology to assist them in performing their function is something that we can all agree is necessary, the power provided must be subject to sufficient safeguards and oversight to ensure the use of this technology is necessary and proportionate at all times. This draft Bill ensures there is a requirement for a statutory code of practice, including requirements to conduct data protection and human rights impact assessments," McEntee said in April. In line with this, O'Callaghan has announced plans to introduce the FRT legislation before the summer. "I want to bring in legislation this summer, introduce it in terms of retro facial recognition tech," O'Callaghan said in an interview with Claire Byrne Live of RTE, adding that current methods are already outdated. "It's a waste of time when technology will assist. I want to see facial recognition technology rolled out, and I will continue to roll it out further with the necessary authorizations when required to ensure that it's a valuable tool for An Garda Síochána. We can't allow a situation to develop where Gardaí are spending hours using old-fashioned methods of policing when the technology is there."

Privacy advocates warn the public about dangers of FRT

Despite the excitement from the Irish government, privacy advocates are sounding the alarm. Civil rights groups warn that unchecked FRT could usher in an era of mass surveillance, flawed identifications and a society under constant watch. For now, real-time facial scanning is not hitting Irish streets – focus remains on retrospective use, analyzing footage after crimes occur. But critics argue it is a slippery slope toward live tracking. "Ireland's digital policing revolution is coming – like it or not. While the Justice Department promises safeguards, transparency and tech that 'helps, not harms,' the public remains divided. Supporters see it as the logical next step in modern policing. Sceptics say: once you give the state a camera, it never stops rolling. We can be sure of one thing – governments across Europe are using more and more tech to keep tabs on the population. Planned or not, are we slowly slipping down that dreaded slope?" Marc Menendez-Roche wrote in his article for Euro Weekly News. FutureTech.news has more stories on the dystopian measures of governments and law enforcement to surveil citizens. Watch the video below that talks about government agencies that were caught lying about the facial recognition program.

This video is from MyPodcastDropped2320 channel on Brighteon.com.

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Privacy advocates warn the public about dangers of FRT

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