The introduction of Britain’s controversial facial recognition technology will depend on software that is believed to have already been deployed in the Gaza Strip. The software is used by the Israeli military to track, trace and abduct thousands of Palestinian civilians as they pass through checkpoints.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced on Monday that British police will significantly increase the use of facial recognition technology used for surveillance purposes.
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Al Jazeera contacted Blue Light Commercial, the Ministry of Interior’s procurement agency, and confirmed that Israeli-based company Cosight AI had been subcontracted by British company Digital Barriers to provide artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition software.
Under proposals from the Home Office, Britain will expand its current fleet of 10 live facial recognition vans to more than 50, which will be deployed across the country to identify individuals on police watchlists, raising civil liberties concerns among activists and concerns about its accuracy among Israeli intelligence agents who used facial recognition in Gaza.
Digital Barriers, which announced in April that it had been selected as one of three software suppliers after a six-month trial by Essex police, has confirmed that it and its subcontractor Cosite have been chosen as part of what is said to be a £20 million ($27.6 million) development.
But despite the British government’s belated – if withering – criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, which is widely accused of committing genocide, it has pressed ahead with partnerships with companies that have been operating as part of Israel’s surveillance system in Gaza.
Essex Police previously refused to respond to a Freedom of Information request granted by advocacy group Action Against Armed Violence (AOAV) in April 2025, asking whether officers had met directly with Cosite representatives. Essex Police argued that identifying the information would exceed cost and time constraints, according to a statement from AOAV.
Connection with Israel
In March 2024, more than a year before Corsight and the Digital Barrier were selected by the UK government, the New York Times reported that Corsight technology was being deployed to Gaza by Israel’s Cyber Intelligence Unit 8200. But concerns about its accuracy, including the unjustified arrest and detention of hundreds of Palestinians, led many Israeli security officials to express doubts about the system to reporters.
Israel has been repeatedly criticized for its use of artificial intelligence in Gaza, including its use to identify bombing targets.
According to Cosite’s website, its board of directors includes former Israeli intelligence officer Yigal Reichelgauz. Other members include Yaron Ashkenazi, a former Israeli security forces and Shin Bet officer, and retired Major General Giora Eiland, who is said to have been part of the so-called “General Plan” to isolate northern Gaza and plunge it into famine in October 2024.
The conditions imposed on northern Gaza as a result of this plan are thought to have killed more than a thousand people through direct bombardment, disease and starvation, and reduced the region’s health system to rubble.
Immediately after the siege began, Britain took issue with Israel’s actions and condemned them at the United Nations. Former British Foreign Secretary David Lammy also criticized Israel’s siege and starvation tactics at the time, describing the conditions Israel imposed in northern Gaza as “dire” and calling for aid to be accepted.
Following news of Cosite’s involvement in the UK’s policing plan, Christian Benedict, Amnesty International’s UK crisis response manager, said: “The UK government has a clear legal duty to help prevent and punish genocide and remains disgracefully failing to live up to its responsibility.”
“Governments must prohibit investment in companies and financial institutions that contribute to the maintenance of Israel’s genocidal, illegal occupation, and apartheid regime, including those involved in weapons production, surveillance, and police equipment and technology,” Benedict added.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch criticized the UK’s widespread efforts to introduce facial recognition technology into police operations, saying it was “costing human rights on a national scale”.
“This is a gross violation of the rights to privacy and non-discrimination, and it also puts at risk the rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly,” said Anna Bacciarelli, senior AI researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Meanwhile, private technology companies will benefit from increased mass surveillance by the UK.”
“Surveillance and profiling technologies used by law enforcement are often developed and tested on the battlefield, and it is important that UK government agencies carry out human rights due diligence in their procurement processes to ensure that companies and products do not cause or contribute to human rights abuses,” Bacciarelli added. “Taxpayers’ money should not be used to contract with companies that promote human rights abuses anywhere.”
Al Jazeera has written to the UK Home Secretary asking what due diligence was carried out in selecting partners for the facial recognition technology, but has not yet received a response.
In response to questions from Al Jazeera, an Interior Ministry spokesperson declined to comment on what was described as an “operational matter.” Numerous attempts to contact Corsight and Digital Barriers also went unanswered.
