TL;DR: The UK's £20 million facial recognition rollout relies on software from Corsight AI, an Israeli company whose technology has reportedly been used by the IDF at Gaza checkpoints since October 2023. Whistleblowers told the New York Times that the system led to "wrongful arrest and detention of hundreds of Palestinians." Corsight's board includes former Israeli intelligence and Shin Bet officers, plus a retired general linked to the "General's Plan" to starve northern Gaza. Essex Police won't confirm whether officers even met with Corsight. The company is now in crisis mode: five senior executives left in 2025, and investors are running. British taxpayers are funding surveillance tech battle-tested on a besieged civilian population.
The Contract
In April 2025, after a six-month trial with Essex Police, Digital Barriers (a UK defence contractor) was selected as one of three suppliers for the UK's live facial recognition (LFR) expansion. Digital Barriers subcontracts the core AI software to Corsight AI, an Israeli company headquartered in Tel Aviv.[1]
The contract is part of a £20 million ($27.6 million) national rollout. Under Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's January 2026 policing reforms, the UK's fleet of facial recognition vans will grow from 10 to over 50, deployed nationwide.[2]
Essex Police tested the system at the Clacton Airshow in August 2025 and in Southend. They claim 383,356 match attempts with a 99.9997% accuracy rate and only one false positive.[3]
What they don't advertise: the software's history in Gaza.
From Gaza Checkpoints to British High Streets
In March 2024, the New York Times reported that Corsight's facial recognition was being deployed in Gaza by Unit 8200, Israel's elite cyber-intelligence division.[4]
Since the Israeli ground invasion in October 2023, IDF soldiers equipped with Corsight-powered cameras have scanned, documented, and detained Palestinians at checkpoints and along major roads. The system matches faces against databases, often without the knowledge or consent of those being scanned.[5]
The accuracy problems in Gaza tell a different story than Essex Police's 99.9997% claims. Two Israeli intelligence officers told the New York Times the system "sometimes had trouble identifying obscured faces, leading to the arrest and interrogation of Palestinians flagged by mistake."[4]
Whistleblowers described "wrongful arrest and detention of hundreds of Palestinians" after the biometric system misidentified civilians as Hamas militants.[5]
That's the technology now scanning faces in Essex.
Who's Behind Corsight
Corsight AI's leadership reads like an Israeli intelligence alumni reunion:[1]
- Igal Raichelgauz: Board member, former Israeli intelligence officer
- Yaron Ashkenazi: Board member, former Shin Bet (Israeli internal security) officer
- Giora Eiland: Board member, retired Major-General, reportedly gave his name to the "General's Plan" to isolate and starve northern Gaza in October 2024
Eiland's presence is particularly striking. The "General's Plan" proposed besieging northern Gaza, evacuating remaining civilians, and treating anyone who remained as combatants, a proposal that drew condemnation from human rights groups as collective punishment.[6]
Corsight also founded a subsidiary called SightX in 2020, partnering with Israeli weapons manufacturer Rafael to develop drones equipped with facial recognition.[7]
Corsight in Crisis
The company is hemorrhaging leadership. Since 2024, at least five senior executives have departed:[8]
- Ofer Ronen: EVP Global Business Development, left July 1, 2025
- Geraldo Sanga: Brazil Regional Manager
- David Douglas: North America Sales Director
- Dror Simsolo: Marketing Director
- Sunny Kong: Asia Regional Manager
An anonymous venture capital source told Action on Armed Violence (AOAV): "No VC wants to be associated with technology perceived as being involved in human rights controversies."[8]
Industry insiders describe "serious financial difficulties and investor retreat." The company's reputational liability from its Gaza operations appears to be driving the exodus.
British police forces are betting on a vendor whose own investors are heading for the exits.
What Essex Police Won't Say
AOAV submitted a Freedom of Information request asking whether Essex Police officers had ever met with Corsight AI representatives. The police refused to confirm or deny, citing cost and time limits under Section 12(2) of the Freedom of Information Act.[9]
The excuse: they don't keep adequate records of vendor meetings.
Essex Police did confirm the contractual structure: Digital Barriers is the primary supplier, and Digital Barriers subcontracts the software to Corsight UK, the British subsidiary of Corsight AI in Tel Aviv.[3]
So UK taxpayers fund Digital Barriers, which pays Corsight AI, which employs former Israeli intelligence officers and builds technology allegedly used for mass surveillance of Palestinian civilians. But police can't confirm whether they've ever spoken directly to Corsight.
Human Rights Groups Sound the Alarm
Amnesty International's UK Crisis Response Manager, Kristyan Benedict, didn't mince words when asked about Corsight's involvement: "The UK government has clear legal obligations to help prevent and punish genocide and is still scandalously failing to meet its responsibilities."[1]
Human Rights Watch's Anna Bacciarelli called the overall UK facial recognition expansion "sacrificing human rights on a countrywide scale" and a "mass violation of privacy and non-discrimination rights."[2]
The critics point to a fundamental question: if this technology has allegedly facilitated mass surveillance and wrongful detention in a conflict zone, why is it suitable for British high streets?
The "Anti-Bias" Marketing Pitch
Corsight markets itself as an ethical choice. The company touts "anti-bias algorithms" and brags about top rankings for identifying individuals with darker skin tones.[5]
Critics see something darker. As one analyst noted: the company's use of "anti-bias" as a marketing tool "is not about reducing discrimination; it is about making the apparatus of repression more efficient and comprehensive."[5]
Technology that works equally well on all skin tones isn't inherently ethical. It just means the surveillance doesn't miss anyone.
What You Can Do
Respond to the Consultation
The UK government's consultation on facial recognition regulation closes February 12, 2026. Mention the Corsight/Gaza connection. Submit your response here.
Contact Your MP
Ask specifically about the ethics of using facial recognition software linked to alleged human rights violations. They may not have heard of Corsight. Make sure they do.
Support AOAV and Big Brother Watch
Action on Armed Violence broke the Corsight story through FOI requests. Big Brother Watch continues to fight facial recognition expansion. Both need support.
Request Your Own Records
File FOI requests with your local police force asking about facial recognition vendors and any ties to companies with military or intelligence operations overseas.
The Bottom Line
British police are rolling out facial recognition from a company whose technology has allegedly been used to surveil, identify, and detain Palestinian civilians at IDF checkpoints. The software's board includes former Israeli intelligence officers and a general linked to plans to starve northern Gaza.
Whistleblowers say the tech misidentified hundreds of Palestinians, leading to wrongful arrests. The company is losing executives and investors. Essex Police won't even confirm whether they've spoken to Corsight directly.
This is what "99.9997% accuracy" looks like when you follow the money to Tel Aviv.
References
- Al Jazeera: UK Police to Use AI Facial Recognition Tech Linked to Israel's War on Gaza (January 28, 2026)
- Biometric Update: UK Announces Largest Ever Facial Recognition Rollout (January 2026)
- Biometric Update: Essex Police Reveal LFR Accuracy from Corsight, Digital Barriers (February 2026)
- New York Times: Israel Deploys Experimental Facial Recognition in Gaza (March 2024)
- Lieber Institute at West Point: Israel's Use of AI-DSS and Facial Recognition Technology (2024)
- The Guardian: The "General's Plan" to End the War: Forced Starvation (October 2024)
- +972 Magazine: The Watchful Eye of Israel's Surveillance Empire
- AOAV: Corsight's Crisis: Why British Police Forces Must Rethink Their Israeli Facial Recognition Partners (2025)
- AOAV: Essex Police Refuse to Reveal Whether Officers Met with Corsight AI (2025)