RTI to Punjab Police dated March 16, 2022

The information sought herein relates to the use of Facial Recognition System by the Punjab Police. Please provide information in response to the following queries:

  1. Please state the legislation or rule which authorizes the authority to use facial recognition technology.

  2. Please state whether any legal opinion was sought by the authority prior to procurement of facial recognition technology. If yes, please provide a copy of the legal opinion received.

  3. Please provide information with regard to when the use of technology was commenced or is planned to be commenced.

  4. Please state whether any cost-benefit analysis, feasibility study or privacy impact assessment was conducted prior to deployment of facial recognition technology. If yes, please provide a copy of the final report.

  5. Please state whether there are any guidelines, policies, rules or standard operating procedure governing the use of facial recognition technology by the authority. If yes, please provide a copy of the document.

  6. Please state the specific purposes for which facial recognition technology is being used by the authority.

  7. Please state the total expenditure incurred (in rupees) on procurement and maintenance of facial recognition technology with an annual breakdown.

  8. Please provide an exhaustive list of persons and/or organizations authorised to operate facial recognition technology.

  9. Please provide details of the database(s) in which images are stored for the purpose of facial recognition including:

    a. Where these images are sourced from,

    b. Where the database is located,

    c. Which persons and/or organizations have access to this database.

  10. Please provide a copy of the accuracy reports of the facial recognition technology which is being used or is proposed to be used.

  11. Please provide information whether any quality assessments have been done by an independent third-party of the facial recognition technology being used. If yes, please provide a copy of the report of such assessment.

  12. Please provide an exhaustive list of databases with which the facial recognition technology will be linked in order to identify individuals.

Filed to: Punjab Police
Status: Response Received
Published By
Anushka Jain

Anushka Jain

Policy Counsel, IFF

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