Concerns have been raised as the United Kingdom partners with a controversial facial recognition company that has provided its technology to Israel for use in Gaza.
The implementation of facial recognition technology has sparked controversy, with reports indicating that similar software has been utilized in Gaza by the Israeli army to monitor and apprehend numerous Palestinian civilians at checkpoints. Shabana Mahmood who [1] is the Home Secretary has stated that police will significantly enhance their [2] use of facial recognition technology for surveillance activities.
The Home Office confirmed that Corsight AI [3] an Israeli-based firm, has been subcontracted by UK company Digital Barriers [4] to supply artificial intelligence-driven facial recognition software. According to the Home Office’s plans, the UK’s existing [5] fleet of 10 live facial recognition vans is set to grow to over 50, which will be distributed across the country to identify individuals on police watchlists. “Taken together, these are, without question, major reforms. A transformation in the structures of our forces, the standards within them and the means by which they are held to account by the public, these are the most significant changes to how policing works in this country in around 200 years,” said Mahmood. This expansion has sparked concerns among civil liberties advocates and raised questions about the software's accuracy among Israeli intelligence personnel who have employed it in Gaza.
In September 2024, it was confirmed that [6] both Corsight AI and Digital Barriers partnered with Essex Police to tackle crime in the region. The company confirmed that it, along with its subcontractor Corsight, would [7] participate in what it described as a £20 million rollout. Neil Hendry, who [8] is the Technical Director at Digital Barriers said, “Real-time facial recognition from security cameras, vehicle-mounted cameras, and body cameras is a challenge that very few technologies can perform reliably. Digital Barriers provides a reliable video stream, and Corsight AI was chosen for its high reliability in challenging conditions such as poor video quality, limited camera angles, darkness, extreme weather and disguises.”
Iain Overton from the AOAV has warned the police forces [9] in the UK that they must rethink their collaboration with the Israeli facial recognition partners, “Ethical policing in the age of AI demands more than blind procurement. It demands transparency, accountability, and the moral courage to sever ties with companies whose technology may have been used to enable systematic surveillance or military attacks in contested spaces,” said Overton, “The opacity from Essex Police and other entities that have worked with Corsight is troubling. If Corsight’s links to the Israeli military and the war in Gaza have indeed led to a collapse in investor confidence, as some in the industry now believe, then it is imperative that all Corsight clients reconsider their partnerships and make public their reasoning.”
Despite the UK government’s delayed, albeit cautious, criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, which have drawn widespread accusations of genocide, it has continued to partner with a company that has been involved in Israel’s surveillance framework in the region. The New York Times reported [10] that Corsight technology was deployed in Gaza by the Israeli cyber-intelligence division Unit 8200. Concerns regarding its accuracy, particularly in relation to the wrongful arrest and detention of hundreds of Palestinians prompted several Israeli security officials to voice their concerns about the system to reporters.
Israel has faced ongoing criticism regarding [11] its deployment of artificial intelligence in Gaza, particularly in relation to its use for identifying bombing targets. According to an article from Sibel Düz for the Daily Sabah, Gaza has [12] become ‘a testing ground’ for Israel’s AI warfare. “Israel is known for using advanced technology in its defence systems. One example is the Iron Dome, an air defence system that uses AI to stop rockets in mid-air. While this system helps protect Israeli cities, the same technology is also used offensively with serious consequences,” said Düz. “Gaza has become a testing ground for AI-driven war, and the results are deeply troubling. The report shows a battlefield where human judgement has been replaced by speed and automation. Ethical standards have eroded under the pressure to act quickly and aggressively. Israel’s use of AI may offer short-term military advantages, but it comes at a great cost. Civilian lives are being lost, and the foundations of international law are being undermined. If the world doesn’t act soon to regulate this technology, we may enter a future where machines lead wars, and no one is held responsible for their actions.”
Corsight’s website [13] indicates that its board of directors features Igal Raichelgauz, who is a [14] former Israeli intelligence officer. The board also includes Yaron Ashkenazi, a former officer with the Israeli security agency Shin Bet, and retired Major-General Giora Eiland. The conditions in northern Gaza, as a result of the implemented plan, are believed [15] to have resulted in the deaths of over a thousand individuals due to direct bombardment, illness, or starvation, severely crippling the region's healthcare system. Christopher Lockyear who [16] is the MSF secretary general said, “What our medical teams have witnessed on the ground throughout this conflict is consistent with the descriptions provided by an increasing number of legal experts and organizations concluding that genocide is taking place in Gaza. While we don't have legal authority to establish intentionality, the signs of ethnic cleansing and the ongoing devastationincluding mass killings, severe physical and mental health injuries, forced displacement, and impossible conditions of life for Palestinians under siege and bombardment are undeniable.