The birth of spatial transgression: genealogies and regulatory instruments in the use of facial recognition technologies in the UK

Evie Papada; Antonis Vradis

doi:10.4337/9781035323036.00008

The birth of spatial transgression: genealogies and regulatory instruments in the use of facial recognition technologies in the UK

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

Abstract

The chapter grapples with the use of Facial Recognition Technologies (FRTs) in the UK. We commence with a perambulation in the literature that has studied surveillance transformations and trace the shifting meanings and nature of privacy in the urban context. We position these cutting-edge facial recognition, surveillance, and location-based technologies in a historical context before introducing the notion of “spatial transgression”, a notion reflecting the sedimentary nature of the blending of digital and physical space. The chapter concludes by raising questions around the means and capacities for resisting spatial transgression as spearheaded by the proliferation of FRTs in urban public space.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Critical perspectives on predictive policing
Subtitle of host publication	anticipating proof?
Editors	Vasilis Galis, Helene O.I. Gundhus, Antonis Vradis
Place of Publication	Cheltenham
Publisher	Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd
Chapter	3
Pages	43-64
Number of pages	22
ISBN (Electronic)	9781035323036
ISBN (Print)	9781035323029
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035323036.00008
Publication status	Published - 11 Feb 2025

Keywords

Facial recognition technologies (FRTs)
Spatial transgression
History and FRTs
Law and FRTs
United Kingdom

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10.4337/9781035323036.00008Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Papada_2025_Birth-spatial-transgression_CC
Copyright © 2025 The authors. This is an open access work distributed under the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4 .0/) license.
Final published version, 728 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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title = "The birth of spatial transgression: genealogies and regulatory instruments in the use of facial recognition technologies in the UK",

abstract = "The chapter grapples with the use of Facial Recognition Technologies (FRTs) in the UK. We commence with a perambulation in the literature that has studied surveillance transformations and trace the shifting meanings and nature of privacy in the urban context. We position these cutting-edge facial recognition, surveillance, and location-based technologies in a historical context before introducing the notion of “spatial transgression”, a notion reflecting the sedimentary nature of the blending of digital and physical space. The chapter concludes by raising questions around the means and capacities for resisting spatial transgression as spearheaded by the proliferation of FRTs in urban public space.",

keywords = "Facial recognition technologies (FRTs), Spatial transgression, History and FRTs, Law and FRTs, United Kingdom",

author = "Evie Papada and Antonis Vradis",

note = "Funding: ESRC project 'NordForsk Digitalisation of the Public Sector - Critical Understanding of Predictive Policing' (grant number ES/V009338/1).",

year = "2025",

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doi = "10.4337/9781035323036.00008",

language = "English",

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The birth of spatial transgression: genealogies and regulatory instruments in the use of facial recognition technologies in the UK. / Papada, Evie; Vradis, Antonis.
Critical perspectives on predictive policing: anticipating proof?. ed. / Vasilis Galis; Helene O.I. Gundhus; Antonis Vradis. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd, 2025. p. 43-64.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

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T1 - The birth of spatial transgression

T2 - genealogies and regulatory instruments in the use of facial recognition technologies in the UK

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AU - Vradis, Antonis

N1 - Funding: ESRC project 'NordForsk Digitalisation of the Public Sector - Critical Understanding of Predictive Policing' (grant number ES/V009338/1).

PY - 2025/2/11

Y1 - 2025/2/11

N2 - The chapter grapples with the use of Facial Recognition Technologies (FRTs) in the UK. We commence with a perambulation in the literature that has studied surveillance transformations and trace the shifting meanings and nature of privacy in the urban context. We position these cutting-edge facial recognition, surveillance, and location-based technologies in a historical context before introducing the notion of “spatial transgression”, a notion reflecting the sedimentary nature of the blending of digital and physical space. The chapter concludes by raising questions around the means and capacities for resisting spatial transgression as spearheaded by the proliferation of FRTs in urban public space.

AB - The chapter grapples with the use of Facial Recognition Technologies (FRTs) in the UK. We commence with a perambulation in the literature that has studied surveillance transformations and trace the shifting meanings and nature of privacy in the urban context. We position these cutting-edge facial recognition, surveillance, and location-based technologies in a historical context before introducing the notion of “spatial transgression”, a notion reflecting the sedimentary nature of the blending of digital and physical space. The chapter concludes by raising questions around the means and capacities for resisting spatial transgression as spearheaded by the proliferation of FRTs in urban public space.

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KW - Spatial transgression

KW - History and FRTs

KW - Law and FRTs

KW - United Kingdom

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M3 - Chapter (peer-reviewed)

SN - 9781035323029

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BT - Critical perspectives on predictive policing

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A2 - Gundhus, Helene O.I.

A2 - Vradis, Antonis

PB - Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd

CY - Cheltenham

ER -

The birth of spatial transgression: genealogies and regulatory instruments in the use of facial recognition technologies in the UK

Abstract

Keywords

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Critical Understanding of Predictive: Critical Understanding of Predictive Policing

Critical perspectives on predictive policing: anticipating proof?

Cite this

The birth of spatial transgression: genealogies and regulatory instruments in the use of facial recognition technologies in the UK

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Critical Understanding of Predictive: Critical Understanding of Predictive Policing

Research output

Critical perspectives on predictive policing: anticipating proof?

Cite this