Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:36 pm on 26 November 2019.
Llywydd, I think the points the Member makes are important ones, because it is right to have a debate about this matter, and there are important points to be made on both sides of the debate, as we have seen it emerge so far. And I'm glad to see that this will be tested further in the courts, and that leave to move to the next stage in the courts has been granted. But I'm also aware that South Wales Police have not taken the steps they have lightly, that they themselves have a very lively debate about the ethical and practical issues that surround automatic face recognition. I think that's a very important debate for us to have. On the one side, there are the arguments that say that automatic face recognition can help to keep us all safe, particularly in large-scale events, such as major rugby matches, where the potential for bad things to happen cannot be ignored. On the other hand, there are the concerns that the Member has articulated this afternoon, and they equally deserve to be taken seriously and to be tested. And the courts now will be the place where that is debated and resolved.