Facial recognition use for canteen payment
Dear Chelmer Valley High School, Chelmsford,
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 please supply the following information:
Reprimand https://ico.org.uk/media/action-weve-tak...
1) With regards to the above Reprimand issued by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) on the 22nd of July 2024 please supply all internal communications and external communications with any other external body/s prior to and after the 22nd July 2024. For example, the ICO, the supplier/s of the canteen biometric technology or anyone else. This should include phone/text messages, voice messages, emails, minutes of meetings, etc.
Your website: https://www.chelmervalleyhighschool.co.u...
2) With regard to the above webpage from your website it states:
“This data is encrypted using AES 256 and is either stored on a school server within the secure school network, or hosted on a secure Azure server by CRB Cunninghams if the school are paying us to host this and the cashless system.”
Do CRB Cunninghams host the “Facial recognition data…. known as a faceprint template” or do the school host the faceprint template?
3) With regard to the above webpage from your website it states:
“Are the templates stored used to further train the algorithm?
No. The templates processed by CRB Cunninghams use of the algorithm are not used to further train the algorithm.”
a) Training Algorithms - Please provide the written communications/documents from the supplier/s that state that the "templates processed by CRB Cunninghams use of the algorithm are not used to further train the algorithm.” If you have no written communications/documents from the supplier please advise where you have the data from to make this statement.
b) Templates processed - Please provide what your understanding is of how CRB Cunninghams are processing biometric facial templates. This can be done by supplying the written communications/documents from the supplier/s that detail their processing of this data or if you have no written communications/documents from the supplier please advise where you have the data from to make this statement.
Some parts of this request may be easier to answer than others and in such case please could you release available data as soon as possible rather than delay the entire request. If you are not fully certain of what it is I am asking then I look forward to contact from you as soon as possible to clarify what it is I am requesting in order to meet your obligations under the law. If the costs of processing this request exceed the limit in the Act, please advise on what information you are able to supply within the cost limit.
I understand that schools are busy and I appreciate your time dealing with this request.
Many thanks.
Yours faithfully,
Pippa King
Dear Ms King
Thank you for your recent request for information. Your request is covered by the Freedom of Information Act, under which we must respond within 20 working days (excluding school holidays).
We will determine and let you know whether we hold the information you have requested and consider whether we are able to release the information or if it is exempt from disclosure.
We do not usually charge for providing information to requestors as the provision of electronic copies is negligible; however under certain circumstances we may have to do so if providing the information costs more than £25. We will let you know before we do any work that would incur a charge.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Teresa Ratty
PA to Headteacher
Chelmer Valley High School
01245 512335
Dear Pippa
I am in the process of compiling the information you have requested however it is taking quite a lot of searching. The personnel who installed the FRT system no longer work for the school so finding where they got the information from is proving quite difficult. Our new Headteacher, Tom Sparks, would like the opportunity to speak with you. Is this possible?
Kind regards
Teresa
Mrs Teresa Ratty
PA to Headteacher
Chelmer Valley High School
01245 512335
Dear Pippa King
Please find attached the information you requested relating to facial recognition used in our canteen services. The first PDF document relates to question 1 and the other questions are covered in the second document. CRB Cunninghams stored all the data not the data controller.
I would like to point out to you that following the reprimand issued by the ICO, we have taken steps to change from facial recognition and return to fingerprint recognition. This new system will become live with effect from Monday 4th November.
Kind regards
Mrs Teresa Ratty
PA to Headteacher
Chelmer Valley High School
01245 512335
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