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Jun 18, 20261
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UK Plans to Use Flawed Facial Age Estimation on Asylum Seekers Despite Known Accuracy Problems
The UK government plans to deploy facial age estimation AI at its borders to assess asylum seekers, despite leaked Home Office documents showing the technology frequently misidentifies children as adults and contains significant racial bias. Critics, including former government scientific advisors, have called the systems "hideously inaccurate," warning the technology could strip children of legal protections.

Quick Facts
Who
British Home Office
What
Leaked internal Home Office report on facial age estimation testing
When
Starting next year (2027)
Where
United Kingdom border
- Leaked internal Home Office report on facial age estimation testing
- UK government plans to deploy FAE technology at borders
- Technology showed higher error rates for Sub-Saharan African females
- Home Office disbanded scientific advisory committee
- Investigation obtained classified government documents
The British government plans to introduce facial age estimation (FAE) technology at its borders starting next year to help determine the age of asylum seekers, marking the first known use of AI-powered age prediction in such a consequential context. Many asylum seekers arriving in the UK lack documents proving their age, and misclassification has severe consequences: children incorrectly identified as adults can lose legal protections and be placed in adult-only detention centers.
An investigation by WIRED and Lighthouse Reports, in collaboration with The Independent, obtained a leaked internal Home Office report documenting the government's tests of FAE technologies. The findings reveal significant problems: the systems regularly mistake children for adults and exhibit substantial racial bias. For female Sub-Saharan Africans—the largest group of migrants entering the UK via small boats and subject to the most age assessments—the technology's margin of error averages 4.6 years, meaning a 13-year-old girl could be assessed as an 18-year-old adult. The report analyzed the best-performing algorithm among seven tested by the Home Office, suggesting broader performance issues across systems evaluated.
Experts and former government advisors have raised serious concerns about deploying the technology. Tim Cole, an emeritus professor of medical statistics at University College London's Institute of Child Health and former member of a scientific committee that advised the Home Office, described the face scans as "hideously inaccurate." The Home Office disbanded this advisory committee while exploring the FAE program, despite its members' attempts to highlight the technology's inadequacies. Independent testing by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology has similarly demonstrated that FAE accuracy varies significantly based on the race of the person being analyzed and photograph quality.
The Home Office has defended the initiative, stating it has "rigorous processes in place" and is "working to modernize" age verification through facial age estimation, characterizing it as an "additional" tool rather than the sole determinant. The spokesperson attributed the scientific committee's closure to the need for "different fields of expertise." The move reflects a broader global trend of governments adopting increasingly stringent anti-migrant policies while investing billions in surveillance technology often deployed against vulnerable populations with limited knowledge of how it works or mechanisms to challenge it.
Why This Matters
This matters because it sets a dangerous precedent for governments to deploy unproven AI systems in high-stakes immigration decisions, directly impacting vulnerable populations—especially children—who could lose legal protections based on flawed technology. The racial bias documented in the leaked report undermines fairness and could lead to widespread miscarriages of justice, while the dismantling of independent oversight raises governance concerns for other nations considering similar technologies.
Timeline & Sources
Jan 1, 2025
WireHome Office tests seven facial age estimation algorithms; age assessments of migrants conducted
Jan 1, 2025
WireHome Office disbands scientific advisory committee on age estimation methods
Jun 18, 2026
WireWIRED and Lighthouse Reports publish investigation with leaked Home Office FAE test results
Jan 1, 2027
WireUK government plans to deploy facial age estimation technology at borders