Facial recognition errors put ethnic minorities at risk of wrongful arrest, police watchdog warns

The report found bias in the algorithm used in retrospective facial recognition and being more likely to wrongly flag ethnic minority people as suspects. The report found bias in the algorithm used in retrospective facial recognition and being more likely to wrongly flag ethnic minority people as suspects. Police officers risk arresting innocent people, especially from ethnic minorities, if they treat inaccurate facial recognition data as evidence, an official report has found. Although the technology can help fight crime, the report found it is beset by errors and biases, and operators do not always realise they must make further inquiries to verify the data. The report by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, published on Wednesday, covers only retrospective facial recognition.