Photograph: Cyril ByrneThousands of Irish travellers will be scanned by live facial recognition technology this week as part of UK immigration enforcement efforts at Holyhead port. Live facial recognition allows authorities to scan faces and compare them against databases in real time to identify offenders or other people of interest. Human rights groups warn that the rapid adoption of facial recognition technology could enable widespread surveillance and discrimination. Dr Elizabeth Farries, of University College Dublin’s Centre for Digital Policy, said there are “established problems” with live facial recognition technology. Live facial recognition technology captures digital images as people move through a designated “Zone of Recognition”.

Source: The Irish Times February 23, 2026 15:02 UTC