New Algorithm Enhances Efficiency of Facial Recognition by Police
amsterdam, woensdag, 23 juli 2025.
Thanks to a new algorithm introduced in 2024, the police were able to recognise and compare significantly more faces of unknown suspects. This led to a match rate of 56%, up from 20% two years earlier. While the CATCH system enhances investigations, privacy activists criticise the potential breach of personal data. Experts emphasise that no live facial recognition is used and that only specialised teams have access to the system.
New Algorithm Enhances Efficiency of Facial Recognition by Police
Thanks to a new algorithm introduced in 2024, the police were able to recognise and compare significantly more faces of unknown suspects. This led to a match rate of 56%, up from 20% two years earlier [1][2]. While the CATCH system enhances investigations, privacy activists criticise the potential breach of personal data [3]. Experts emphasise that no live facial recognition is used and that only specialised teams have access to the system [4].
How CATCH Works
CATCH, which stands for Central Automated Technology for Recognition of Individuals, is a system used by the police for facial comparison. The system is housed at the Biometrics Centre in Zoetermeer and uses a database of criminal images and foreigner images. Images of bystanders or victims can be compared with the photos in CATCH to establish the identity of suspects [1][2].
Impact on Criminal Investigations
The new algorithm has led to a significant increase in the number of recognised suspects. In 2024, a total of 2022 images were submitted for comparison, of which 884 were of sufficient quality for investigation in CATCH. The new algorithm was introduced at the end of 2023, resulting in 499 recognitions, a match rate of 56%. This is a substantial increase compared to the match rate of 20% two years earlier [1][2].
Privacy and Ethical Concerns
Despite the positive impact on investigations, privacy activists criticise the system. Jan Jansen, a privacy activist, argues that the use of facial recognition by the police comes at the expense of privacy and can lead to misuse [3]. The Dutch Data Protection Authority investigated the system in March 2024 and provided recommendations for improvement [3]. The police planned to evaluate the system in July 2024, but the status of this evaluation is not yet known [1][2].
Future Plans and Expansion
The police have plans to further expand the algorithm to other regions in the Netherlands. Implementation began on 1 January 2024 and is expected to be fully operational in all district teams by the end of 2024 [4]. A trial phase in Amsterdam ran from 1 January to 1 March 2024 and was approved by the privacy committee [4].
International Developments
Internationally, there are also developments in the field of facial recognition. In the United Kingdom, the supermarket chain Iceland is testing live facial recognition in several stores, comparing faces with images of individuals on a list of possible offenders [5]. In 2024, the British police scanned 4.7 million faces, more than double the number from the previous year [5].