Met Police facial recognition arrests top 3,000 as new laws promised

The Metropolitan Police has reported that live facial recognition (LFR) technology has led to more than 3,000 arrests across London in the past two years. The announcement comes as the government prepares to introduce new legislation aimed at providing stronger safeguards for the technology's use.

Policing minister Sarah Jones stated that a public consultation indicated support for LFR, provided there were assurances about its application. The proposed legislation will establish clear parameters and principles for its deployment, focusing on serious crime and locating missing individuals, rather than minor offences. Ms Jones confirmed that the government intends to create a new independent watchdog to oversee LFR usage, with the power to take enforcement action against police forces in certain circumstances.

Criticism and Legal Challenges

Privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch has voiced strong opposition to LFR, describing it as an "indiscriminate tool" that treats every individual as a potential suspect. Jasleen Chaggar, a senior legal and policy officer at the group, argued that the technology operates contrary to the presumption of innocence fundamental to British law. The group has also highlighted that thousands of objections were submitted during the government's consultation period.

The Metropolitan Police successfully defended its use of LFR in a High Court challenge brought by privacy campaigners. The court rejected claims that the Met's deployment of the technology violated human rights and privacy laws. Despite this legal victory, concerns persist regarding potential biases, particularly for women and people of colour, although the Met states its LFR system has been assessed as accurate and fair by the National Physical Laboratory.

Expansion Plans

The Met Police plans to extend its use of static LFR cameras to the West End and Soho areas in December, following a pilot scheme in Croydon. These cameras are affixed to street furniture and can be operated remotely, though officers remain on the ground to verify any potential matches. Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes indicated that Oxford Street is a likely location for these new installations, intended to enhance safety for shoppers during the Christmas period. The force is also piloting handheld devices to enable officers to confirm identities more rapidly.

The Home Office is developing a legal code of practice for police forces and a separate code for private entities employing facial recognition technology for crime prevention. This follows an incident in August where Sainsbury's temporarily suspended its LFR use in East Dulwich after a customer was wrongly identified as a shoplifter.