As Scotland Yard rolls out facial-recognition technology to identify alleged London rioters, some U.K. Web developers are trying for the same results with off-the-shelf software.

They’ve created an application using face.com’s API, a tool that allows developers to build face tracking into their own programs, to help name suspected troublemakers.

But success has so far eluded them, and the project has landed the developers, loosely organized as a Google group called “London Riots Facial Recognition,” in ethically-iffy territory.

The technology is rarely effective with fuzzy images, such as those taken from CCTV cameras, which is what the group has been using, said a programmer who asked not to be identified.

While testing their app, “it got a monkey mixed up with a person,” said another developer, who also declined to be named. He pegged the accuracy of matches at less than 40 per cent, adding that the group’s members all have other jobs and don’t have the time or money to properly develop the app.

International tech blogs have labelled the group “creepy” and “vigilantes.” The developer calls it undue attention.

“I’m just a hobbyist developer,” he said, adding that some people only joined the group to learn the API technology. Others wanted to help the investigation, but they intend to turn in any results to police.

Group members have received threats from people who believe — falsely, he adds — that they’re working for the Metropolitan Police. The threats prompted them to make the Google group private while they continue tweaking the app. At this point, “we’re just trying to see if we could have a bit of fun learning a new technology,” the developer said.

London police announced Thursday they have face-matching software at their disposal. It is generally reserved for identifying suspects of serious crimes, a spokesman said.

Police have also been actively crowd-sourcing to identify rioters, putting images of suspects on Flickr and monitoring Twitter and Facebook.

Some Britons have taken it on themselves to start sites like Catch A Looter, which “collates all images of alleged looting” and encourages those who recognize the faces to call police.

With files from the Associated Press

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