The peculiarities of privacy in public space & the deployment of live facial recognition surveillance. How do regulatory differences between public and private LFR deployment impact access to public space?

Page, W. J. (2026) The peculiarities of privacy in public space & the deployment of live facial recognition surveillance. How do regulatory differences between public and private LFR deployment impact access to public space? PhD thesis, University of Reading. doi: 10.48683/1926.00129235

Abstract/Summary

The deployment of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) surveillance in the United Kingdom is substantially increasing in publicly accessible places. Both public and private bodies have incorporated this enhanced level of biometric surveillance within their public space overwatch strategies. This thesis adopts a socio-legal approach to examining the relationship between the increasing prevalence of LFR and the regulation that authorises and constrains its use in public spaces. In analysing the current doctrinal frameworks regulating LFR surveillance by police and private bodies, this thesis demonstrates how subtle differences in the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018, the bedrock of LFR regulation, assist in allowing private bodies to target a broader category of individuals. This analysis acknowledges a public-private divide that permeates LFR regulation, where, alongside data protection, deep-rooted legal divides extend across human rights and equality law. This thesis argues that the current regulation of this novel surveillance method requires revision, as the existing division creates ambiguities about the consistency of data privacy and fairness in public spaces. Alongside the legal analysis, this thesis adopts a multidisciplinary approach to demonstrate how the regulation of private LFR systems is reflected within the retail sector, where its adoption has seen significant growth. This analysis draws on interview data, testimonials, and site visits to demonstrate how and why LFR is adopted in the private sector. This research illustrates contemporary real-world practices that examine who is included in private watchlists and what this means for exclusionary practices. In addition, this analysis examines LFR transparency, highlighting how the perceptibility of retail LFR varies across the high street and, in some cases, fails to communicate its presence effectively and overtly to those entering the site. With this in mind, strong recommendations are made for further guidance and enforcement to prevent private bodies from leveraging ambiguity to further imperceptible LFR practices.

Item Type	Thesis (PhD)
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/129235
Identification Number/DOI	10.48683/1926.00129235
Divisions	Arts, Humanities and Social Science > School of Law
Date on Title Page	September 2025
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