The Metropolitan Police is set to expand its use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology, deploying static cameras in London's West End and Soho by Christmas, with plans for six additional areas in 2027. The cameras, which may be attached to lamp-posts, scan faces and compare them against a watchlist of wanted suspects.
The Met has previously trialled LFR using mobile vans and a static camera in Croydon, south London, which it deemed a success. During a six-month pilot in Croydon, 173 arrests were made from 470,000 scans, with only one false positive that did not lead to arrest. The force says the cameras will move based on crime trends.
Critics, including Big Brother Watch, argue the expansion forces tens of thousands of innocent people into a 'digital police lineup'. Jack Coulson of Big Brother Watch called it 'an alarming escalation' and 'an affront to privacy'. The Met insists that arrests are made by humans and that non-matching faces are deleted almost instantly.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley defended the technology, stating it is 'one of the most revolutionary advances in policing' and has around 80% public support. He added that static cameras in high-footfall areas will help cut crime. The Met has adjusted its algorithm to reduce bias, which critics say can discriminate against black people.
