Facial recognition technology set for top sporting venues

Suspected terrorists and football hooligans will be locked out of Queensland stadiums under new cutting-edge facial recognition technology.

The equipment, which is expected to be installed at the state’s major sporting facilities, will work by matching banned spectators and persons of interest against a national database to stop potential threats before they reach the venue.

It is expected the technology will be able to identify people up to one-kilometre away.

The technology is already being used at the Sydney Cricket Ground and will imminently be set up at Queensland venues.

As part of the move announced by the state government, there will also be more than $8 million in upgrades to existing security cameras as well as anti-ramming bollards and additional fencing installed.

The state government has said the upgrades are not due to a pre-existing problem, but rather as a preventative measure.