
Facial recognition cameras secretly spy on airport passengers
Facial recognition cameras have secretly been monitoring airport passengers under a scheme backed by the Home Office, documents obtained under freedom of information (FoI) laws reveal.
Unpublished Home Office orders reveal airports are required to carry out biometric face scanning of any passenger boarding a domestic flight.
The orders, made under Schedule Two of the Immigration Act 1971, are the first known examples of the Government making facial recognition a legal requirement in the UK.
They have been in place for at least 15 years, since the last Labour government, but have never been publicly disclosed. The rules require airports with a single departure lounge to capture a facial biometric photo of domestic passengers entering and leaving this area to board their planes.
Airports are expected to use biometric technology to compare the photos and verify that the correct people are boarding their flights.
The measures are designed to prevent international passengers switching boarding passes in order to illegally enter the UK on a domestic flight.
The orders were obtained by the campaign group Big Brother Watch after a year-long transparency battle when Home Office officials initially fought to keep the orders secret. They argued that releasing the documents would reveal 'sensitive operational information'.
Big Brother Watch complained to the Information Commissioner's Office, which intervened and told the Home Office to release the documents in full.
The ruling found that the Home Office had overreached by claiming that publication would undermine immigration controls, stating that it had not presented 'credible evidence' of harm.
'New era of biometric surveillance'
Madeleine Stone, senior advocacy officer at Big Brother Watch, said attempts to keep the orders secret were 'staggering' given that they meant 'tens of millions of law-abiding passengers have had no choice but to have their faces scanned'.
She said: 'This is the first example of mandated facial recognition in Britain and represents a new era of biometric surveillance for citizens, yet the Home Office fought to keep this legal notice a secret.'
The orders obtained under FoI law relate to Manchester and Gatwick, but the rules are understood to apply to all airports which have common departure lounges for both domestic and international passengers. One dates back to 2009/2010 when Alan Johnson was Labour home secretary under Gordon Brown.
Some 3.7 million passengers took domestic flights from London Gatwick and Manchester Airport in 2023, while Heathrow had an estimated 4.2 million domestic passengers.
The order for Gatwick states that it must use 'biometric systems' whereby a 'photo reconciliation system' is located at the entrance and exit to the common departure lounge. A photo must be taken of each domestic passenger on entry to the lounge.
'On leaving the lounge, each departing domestic passenger must have their identity verified against the image captured on entry into the lounge. Technology used to capture and verify images must be of a good standard which will provide assurance of continuity of identity,' says the order.
Failure to comply with the order carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
Manchester Airport states in a privacy notice that it collects biometric data in the form of facial recognition images in terminal one security areas, terminal two transfers and terminal three.
It is understood Manchester complies with data protection laws, with the images retained for 24 hours and only shared with statutory agencies for national security purposes.
Facial images are captured as passengers enter the lounge through a gate and present their boarding pass to a reader. A second image, with which to compare their facial identification, is taken when they board their plane and leave the departure gate.
Big Brother Watch said that under UK and European law, the collection of biometric data such as facial recognition scans, fingerprinting or DNA samples was subject to strict regulation and could only be required where absolutely necessary for a legitimate or legal purpose.
It said: 'Passengers travelling internationally can choose whether to undergo facial recognition checks at e-gates or human verification by queuing for manual checks on UK borders – making the secret mandatory biometric checks for domestic travel the first known such example.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


South Wales Guardian
34 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Reeves announces £6 billion to provide millions of NHS tests and procedures
New scanners, ambulances and urgent treatment centres are among the things which the additional cash will pay for, with the aim of providing up to four million more tests and procedures over the next five years. The announcement comes after the Chancellor put NHS funding at the heart of her spending review on Wednesday, raising its budget in a move worth £29 billion a year. This comes, however, at the expense of other areas of public spending. The new £6 billion funding will help to meet the Government's target of reducing NHS waiting lists in England, the Chancellor claimed. 'Over a decade of underinvestment from the previous government put the NHS on its knees, with people across the country unable to get the care they need. We are investing in Britain's renewal, and we will turn that around,' Ms Reeves said. She added: 'Part of our record investment will deliver four million tests, scans and procedures, so hard-working people can get the healthcare they and their families need. 'There is no strong economy without a strong NHS, and we'll deliver on our Plan for Change to end the hospital backlog, improve living standards and get more money in people's pockets.' The latest spending commitment will help patients get access to diagnostic scans and treatment in places such as shopping centres and high streets, speeding up their diagnoses. The Government hopes this will help to cut NHS waiting lists, meeting Labour's goal of ensuring the health service carries out 92% of routine operations within 18 weeks. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'Since taking office we have been relentless in our drive to cut waiting times for patients, delivering over 3.6 million extra elective care appointments and reducing the overall waiting list by over 200,000. 'The £6 billion investment we are announcing today will generate millions more vital diagnostic tests, scans and procedures for patients across the country.' On Wednesday evening, Ms Reeves said the Government was 'confident' it could meet its pledge to reduce waiting lists after giving the NHS a 3% annual increase in funding at the spending review. Some health leaders are, however, sceptical that the Government will meet its target, despite the funding boost provided at the spending review. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents all health organisations, warned 'difficult decisions will still need to be made as this additional £29 billion won't be enough to cover the increasing cost of new treatments, with staff pay likely to account for a large proportion of it'. He added: 'So, on its own, this won't guarantee that waiting time targets are met.' Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the King's Fund charity, said: 'The Chancellor said she wants the public to have an NHS there when they need it. 'It is hard to see how all the things she mentions: faster ambulance times, more GP appointments, and adequate mental health services and more can be met on this settlement alone. 'Particularly when large parts of this additional funding will be absorbed by existing rising costs, such as the higher cost of medicines, which are currently being negotiated, and covering staff pay deals.'

South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Reeves announces £6 billion to provide millions of NHS tests and procedures
New scanners, ambulances and urgent treatment centres are among the things which the additional cash will pay for, with the aim of providing up to four million more tests and procedures over the next five years. The announcement comes after the Chancellor put NHS funding at the heart of her spending review on Wednesday, raising its budget in a move worth £29 billion a year. This comes, however, at the expense of other areas of public spending. The new £6 billion funding will help to meet the Government's target of reducing NHS waiting lists in England, the Chancellor claimed. 'Over a decade of underinvestment from the previous government put the NHS on its knees, with people across the country unable to get the care they need. We are investing in Britain's renewal, and we will turn that around,' Ms Reeves said. She added: 'Part of our record investment will deliver four million tests, scans and procedures, so hard-working people can get the healthcare they and their families need. 'There is no strong economy without a strong NHS, and we'll deliver on our Plan for Change to end the hospital backlog, improve living standards and get more money in people's pockets.' The latest spending commitment will help patients get access to diagnostic scans and treatment in places such as shopping centres and high streets, speeding up their diagnoses. The Government hopes this will help to cut NHS waiting lists, meeting Labour's goal of ensuring the health service carries out 92% of routine operations within 18 weeks. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'Since taking office we have been relentless in our drive to cut waiting times for patients, delivering over 3.6 million extra elective care appointments and reducing the overall waiting list by over 200,000. 'The £6 billion investment we are announcing today will generate millions more vital diagnostic tests, scans and procedures for patients across the country.' On Wednesday evening, Ms Reeves said the Government was 'confident' it could meet its pledge to reduce waiting lists after giving the NHS a 3% annual increase in funding at the spending review. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves during a visit to St Thomas' Hospital in London, following the spending review (Carl Court/PA) Some health leaders are, however, sceptical that the Government will meet its target, despite the funding boost provided at the spending review. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents all health organisations, warned 'difficult decisions will still need to be made as this additional £29 billion won't be enough to cover the increasing cost of new treatments, with staff pay likely to account for a large proportion of it'. He added: 'So, on its own, this won't guarantee that waiting time targets are met.' Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the King's Fund charity, said: 'The Chancellor said she wants the public to have an NHS there when they need it. 'It is hard to see how all the things she mentions: faster ambulance times, more GP appointments, and adequate mental health services and more can be met on this settlement alone. 'Particularly when large parts of this additional funding will be absorbed by existing rising costs, such as the higher cost of medicines, which are currently being negotiated, and covering staff pay deals.'


Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Reeves announces £6 billion to provide millions of NHS tests and procedures
New scanners, ambulances and urgent treatment centres are among the things which the additional cash will pay for, with the aim of providing up to four million more tests and procedures over the next five years. The announcement comes after the Chancellor put NHS funding at the heart of her spending review on Wednesday, raising its budget in a move worth £29 billion a year. This comes, however, at the expense of other areas of public spending. The new £6 billion funding will help to meet the Government's target of reducing NHS waiting lists in England, the Chancellor claimed. 'Over a decade of underinvestment from the previous government put the NHS on its knees, with people across the country unable to get the care they need. We are investing in Britain's renewal, and we will turn that around,' Ms Reeves said. She added: 'Part of our record investment will deliver four million tests, scans and procedures, so hard-working people can get the healthcare they and their families need. 'There is no strong economy without a strong NHS, and we'll deliver on our Plan for Change to end the hospital backlog, improve living standards and get more money in people's pockets.' The latest spending commitment will help patients get access to diagnostic scans and treatment in places such as shopping centres and high streets, speeding up their diagnoses. The Government hopes this will help to cut NHS waiting lists, meeting Labour's goal of ensuring the health service carries out 92% of routine operations within 18 weeks. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'Since taking office we have been relentless in our drive to cut waiting times for patients, delivering over 3.6 million extra elective care appointments and reducing the overall waiting list by over 200,000. 'The £6 billion investment we are announcing today will generate millions more vital diagnostic tests, scans and procedures for patients across the country.' On Wednesday evening, Ms Reeves said the Government was 'confident' it could meet its pledge to reduce waiting lists after giving the NHS a 3% annual increase in funding at the spending review. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves during a visit to St Thomas' Hospital in London, following the spending review (Carl Court/PA) Some health leaders are, however, sceptical that the Government will meet its target, despite the funding boost provided at the spending review. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents all health organisations, warned 'difficult decisions will still need to be made as this additional £29 billion won't be enough to cover the increasing cost of new treatments, with staff pay likely to account for a large proportion of it'. He added: 'So, on its own, this won't guarantee that waiting time targets are met.' Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the King's Fund charity, said: 'The Chancellor said she wants the public to have an NHS there when they need it. 'It is hard to see how all the things she mentions: faster ambulance times, more GP appointments, and adequate mental health services and more can be met on this settlement alone. 'Particularly when large parts of this additional funding will be absorbed by existing rising costs, such as the higher cost of medicines, which are currently being negotiated, and covering staff pay deals.'