Merseyside Police deploys live facial recognition in Liverpool
Merseyside Police deployed Live Facial Recognition technology in Liverpool in December 2025, comparing live camera feeds against a watchlist of wanted or at-risk people. Civil rights group Liberty called for a halt to the rollout and safeguards, reporting that children had been included on police watchlists.
What happened
Merseyside Police rolled out Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology in Liverpool in December 2025, which compares faces caught on live camera feeds against a pre-determined watchlist of people wanted for crimes or considered a risk to themselves or others.
Civil rights group Liberty called on the government to halt the rollout and bring in safeguards after finding children had been included on police watchlists.
Reported impact
Liberty raised concerns about the inclusion of children on police watchlists without adequate safeguards.
Index analysis
Merseyside Police stated that only people on the pre-determined watchlist would be identified and that no biometric data was stored from people passing through an LFR zone, with data from non-watchlist individuals automatically deleted.
The force said the technology was not connected to the internet during use to reduce privacy risks and data breach risks, and that areas covered would be clearly marked.
Governance controls
Merseyside Police said strict checks were in place before deployment to ensure use was both necessary and proportionate, and that LFR would assist but not determine decisions to stop and speak to someone.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.