The UK government may soon start using Smart watches to track migrants who have been convicted of crimes. Follow . The measures could go into effect as soon as this fall.
Those subject to the conditions will need to take pictures of themselves throughout the day and track their location around the clock, according to documents released by the BBC. Guardians. The photo will be compared to the photo that the Home Office has on file. If the government system is unable to verify the person’s identity, a manual check will be required. The photos – along with the migrant’s name, nationality and date of birth – will be stored for up to six years, according to plans by the Interior and Justice Departments.
The rules will only apply to foreign nationals who have been convicted of crimes. The UK government is not expected to monitor others, such as asylum seekers, in this way.
In May, the government gave to a company called Buddi Limited to secure “unequipped devices” to track “specific cohorts” in the Home Office Satellite Tracking Service. “The unfitted device solution will provide a more commensurate way to monitor specific cohorts over a longer period of time than fitted tags,” the contract reads. “These devices will use periodic biometric verification as an alternative to equipping an individual.” Amount Buddi will deliver and the cost of each has been cut.
The Home Office did not explicitly say it would use smartwatches with facial recognition to track convicted migrants. A spokesperson told Guardians that the Home Office will soon deploy a “mobile biometric-accessed device” that will work in conjunction with ankle tags.
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