RTI to Karnataka Law Department

The information sought herein pertains to the legal opinions sought for the use of Facial Recognition technology in the state. Kindly make available the following information through a DVD or over email as available with the administration, under section 6 of the RTI Act:

Please provide information in response to the following queries:

1. Please state whether any legal opinion has been sought by the Bengaluru Police for the use of Facial Recognition Technology by them. If yes, a copy of the questions and legal questions referred to the legal department along with a copy of the legal opinion sent.

2. Please provide anonymized statistical information on the total number of legal opinions or questions sought and responses or opinions sent.

3. Please state whether any legal opinion has been sought by any department or government office for the use of facial recognition technology. If yes, a copy of the questions and legal questions referred to the legal department along with a copy of the legal opinion sent.

4. Please provide anonymized statistical information on the total number of legal opinions or questions sought and responses or opinions sent.

5. Please state whether the legal department has published any advisory or legal note on the use of facial recognition in the state.

6. Please state whether there are any guidelines, policies, rules or standard operating procedure governing the use of facial recognition technology and/ or all other technology proposed to be implemented under the Bengaluru Safe City Project. If yes, please provide a copy of the guidelines, policies, rules or standard operating procedure.

7. Please provide a copy of all relevant documents on queries asked herewith.

Since the requested information pertains to public interests, it is requested that the above information be shared with the applicant in spirit of 8(2) of the RTI Act, 2005 which reads as

“Notwithstanding anything in the Official Secrets Act, 1923 nor any of the exemptions permissible in accordance with subsection (1), a public authority may allow access to information, if public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to the protected interests.”