South Wales Police deploys live facial recognition at Cardiff Six Nations
South Wales Police deployed live facial recognition cameras across Cardiff during Six Nations rugby matches in February 2025, scanning faces against a predetermined watchlist to identify individuals of interest. The police force stated the technology has not caused wrongful arrests and represented it as a public safety measure, though it raises concerns about mass surveillance and privacy in public spaces.
What happened
South Wales Police deployed five temporary live facial recognition cameras across Cardiff city centre during Wales' home Six Nations rugby fixtures on 22 February 2025. The cameras scanned and compared faces in real-time with a predetermined watchlist of individuals police wanted to speak to.
Reported impact
South Wales Police states the technology has never resulted in a wrongful arrest and there have been no false alerts for more than five years. The force previously used facial recognition at a Cardiff concert where one suspect was identified and arrested, with no reported mobile phone thefts occurring at that event.
Index analysis
The deployment was temporary and targeted at major public events where large crowds were expected. Police publicised the deployment in advance, stating this was partly to deter criminal activity and to provide transparency to the public.
Governance controls
South Wales Police stated that an officer, not the technology, makes the final decision on whether someone who has caused an alert is indeed who police need to speak to. The force said the priority was to keep the public safe and that it would create 'zones of safety' in the city centre.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.