Exclusive:Police Scotland could be cut off from 'essential' databases under biometrics shake up Police Scotland may be unable to access “essential” information on UK national databases due to proposed legislative changes around biometric data such as facial recognition scans, with citizens facing the prospect of “different protections and rights,” according to a senior watchdog. Professor William Webster, the UK Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner, said that while plans to overhaul the way biometrics are regulated in England and Wales would provide “legal certainty” in those nations, it would complicate matters in Scotland, meaning that the use of “contentious” technologies could be “governed to different standards.” Advertisement Hide AdAdvertisement Hide AdHe warned that the complex regulatory landscape would have a direct impact on criminal justice organisations who routinely share biometric records like DNA and fingerprints at a UK level, with Scotland’s national police force potentially facing the scenario where it cannot integrate existing data. But Dr Brian Plastow, the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner, told The Scotsman the “subtle nuances” in rules around biometric data as a result of devolution were not a “new phenomenon,” and stressed that UK policing bodies had dealt with differences for decades without any “substantive complications.” The UK government has said the new Police Reform Bill will introduce a new legal framework underpinning the use of facial recognition and similar technologies by police and other law enforcement agencies. The legislation, announced in the King’s Speech last month, is expected to create a new regulatory oversight body, combining Mr Webster’s office and that of the UK Forensic Science Regulator, granting it powers around audits, inspections, and compliance, and allowing it to make it clear when use of technologies like live facial recognition (LFR) can be justified. Advertisement Hide AdAdvertisement Hide AdHowever, Mr Webster pointed out that the introduction of