A guide to policing databases and predictive policing tools

Long Read
graphics of police looking at map and monitor
Explainer

This guide explains how policing databases can be used at a protest and negatively affect individuals' lives (UK edition)

Explainer

The police may use facial recognition technology, IMSI catchers, geo-location technology and other tools to identify protesters and add them to databases or watchlists, feeding into their 'predictive policing' tools. Here's what you need to know (UK edition).

As well as surveillance of your face and body, and surveillance of your phone, police forces also build databases and data sets that can enable them to monitor, track and identify people at protests.

Details of people stored in these databases and data sets can be used as watchlists at protests. The police might also use facial recognition technology, IMSI catchers or geo-location technology to identify protesters and add them to these databases or watchlists.