Western Australia Police have begun trialing artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition cameras in Perth and Fremantle, a move that has ignited public debate about mass surveillance. The technology scans faces and compares them against a watchlist of approximately 4,000 flagged individuals.
In a recent demonstration, police stopped a man in Perth CBD who was identified by the system as having a criminal record from nearly a decade ago. The man, who was not arrested as there was no warrant for his apprehension, expressed concern about being monitored by police cameras despite having no current legal entanglements. He stated that the system appeared to be keeping tabs on him regardless of whether he was under arrest.
The footage of the incident gained significant traction online, with many Australians voicing their unease, describing the technology as "creepy" and "dystopian." Critics questioned the necessity of apprehending individuals for past offenses when they have already faced consequences, suggesting it could be a waste of resources.
Within the first week of the trial, Western Australia Police scanned an estimated 130,000 faces. This resulted in 33 alerts and 18 arrests.
While Western Australia Police are the first in the country to deploy this technology, the use of facial recognition is expanding in the private sector. Retailers are exploring similar systems to combat theft. Bunnings successfully argued for the use of facial recognition cameras in its stores before an Administrative Review Tribunal in February, provided customers are properly signposted. This ruling followed concerns raised by Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind in 2024, who argued that the technology, while potentially cost-effective, represented an overly intrusive measure that infringed upon the privacy of all shoppers.
Following Bunnings' decision, major grocery chains Woolworths and Coles also announced in August that they would be testing facial recognition cameras to reduce in-store crime, though they have not yet disclosed plans for permanent implementation. The long-term applicability of such technology across other regions in Australia remains unclear.