The UK's Home Office [Priti Panopticon] and Ministry of Justice want migrants with criminal convictions to scan their faces up to five times a day using a smartwatch kitted out with facial-recognition software.

Plans for wrist-worn face-scanning devices were discussed in a data protection impact assessment report from the Home Office. Officials called for "daily monitoring of individuals subject to immigration control," according to The Guardian this week, and suggested any such entrants to the UK should wear fitted ankle tags or smartwatches at all times.

In May, the British government awarded a contract worth £6 million to Buddi Limited, makers of a wristband used to monitor older folks at risk of falling. Buddi appears to be tasked with developing a device capable of taking images of migrants to be sent to law enforcement to scan. ...