London Expands Facial Recognition Technology

London's Metropolitan Police is deploying real-time facial recognition technology on the streets, matching the faces of passers-by against a database of around 17,000 wanted persons. Police describe it as a "groundbreaking" crime-fighting tool that has led to around 2,500 arrests since the start of 2024, including suspects in violent and sexual offenses.

During one deployment in the Victoria district, the system identified several individuals within a short space of time. One man was released after a check; another was arrested.

Metropolitan Police director Lindsey Chiswick cited one case in which the technology identified a convicted pedophile walking hand-in-hand with an eight-year-old girl. "He should never have been out with a young girl like that on his own", she said. "He's now back in prison."

Critics warn of mass surveillance and the erosion of basic civil liberties. The civil liberties group Big Brother Watch argues that the system undermines the presumption of innocence by treating every person on the street as a potential suspect. The use of the technology during an anti-immigration protest in central London has also drawn particular criticism.

A British court ruled last month that the system was legal, paving the way for its further expansion.

(reuters, max)