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King's Cross developer scraps facial recognition after public outcry

The developer of the King's Cross site in London admitted it had used facial recognition software in two cameras on a busy pedestrian street between May 2016 and March 2018 without public consent. Following a backlash and questions from the Information Commissioner's Office, the developer announced it would not deploy the technology in the future and had abandoned plans for wider use. The system was used to help police detect crime, but critics highlighted the lack of transparency and privacy concerns.

Date it happened
2016-05-01
Organisation involved
King's Cross development (Argent-led consortium)
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