This article critically examines UK biometric policymaking by charting the bodies identified by the 2018 Home Office Biometric Strategy as playing key roles in the oversight of biometric data used in law enforcement and other related functions. The article argues that oversight actors are embedded in biometric imaginaries promoted by the UK Home Office and the devolved Scottish administration. By mapping oversight of UK biometrics policy together with developments in Scotland, the article challenges sociotechnical imaginaries studies which assume the power of national governments to project dominant, cohesive and instrumental visions. The article peels away that image to reveal UK biometric policy as located within a patchwork in which embedded commissioners, regulators and advisors challenge biometric imaginaries through interpretive flexibility and standpoint. By identifying technical, operational, legislative and ethical issues, these actors challenge the UK government imaginary and act as channels of critique between it and wider stakeholder communities. The article further challenges assumptions concerning the cohesion of national imaginaries by highlighting a diverging approach to biometric governance in Scotland. The article uses these observations to sketch a means to further characterise the notion of the biometric imaginary and to address biometric policymaking more widely.

本文通过绘制 2018 年内政部生物识别战略确定的在监督执法和其他相关职能中使用的生物识别数据方面发挥关键作用的机构，批判性地审视了英国的生物识别政策制定。文章认为，监督行为者嵌入在英国内政部和下放的苏格兰政府推动的生物特征想象中。通过将英国生物识别政策的监督与苏格兰的发展联系起来，本文对社会技术想象研究提出了挑战，这些想象研究假设国家政府有能力投射主导、凝聚力和工具性的愿景。这篇文章剥离了这张图片，揭示了英国的生物识别政策位于一个拼凑而成的地方，其中嵌入的专员，监管机构和顾问通过解释的灵活性和立场来挑战生物特征的想象。通过识别技术、运营、立法和道德问题，这些行为者挑战英国政府的想象，并充当它与更广泛的利益相关者社区之间的批评渠道。本文通过强调苏格兰生物识别治理的不同方法，进一步挑战了有关国家想象凝聚力的假设。本文使用这些观察来勾勒出一种方法，以进一步描述生物识别想象的概念并更广泛地解决生物识别政策制定问题。本文通过强调苏格兰生物识别治理的不同方法，进一步挑战了有关国家想象凝聚力的假设。本文使用这些观察来勾勒出一种方法，以进一步描述生物识别想象的概念并更广泛地解决生物识别政策制定问题。本文通过强调苏格兰生物识别治理的不同方法，进一步挑战了有关国家想象凝聚力的假设。本文使用这些观察来勾勒出一种方法，以进一步描述生物识别想象的概念并更广泛地解决生物识别政策制定问题。