Danish police granted facial recognition use

The Danish police are now authorized to use facial recognition in investigations, facilitating quicker searches of faces and objects in image and video materials. This announcement was made by the Ministry of Justice and agreed upon by the government along with the Green Left, the Denmark Democrats, and the Conservative People’s Party, with the addition of the Social Liberal Party. However, the authorization excludes real-time facial recognition. The technology is intended for serious cases involving danger to individuals and the state’s security, according to Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard. Despite debate and concerns of principle, Hummelgaard argues the importance of equipping the police to solve serious crimes while assuring that there is no increase in access to video or image material, nor a reason for the public to worry.