UK Human Rights Regulator Challenges Metropolitan Police's Live Facial Recognition Policy
The UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission has challenged the Metropolitan Police's live facial recognition policy, stating it breaches human rights law and lacks adequate safeguards for privacy and freedom of assembly. The regulator has been granted permission to intervene in an upcoming judicial review brought by privacy campaigners, including a community worker who was wrongly identified by the system.
What happened
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has criticised the Metropolitan Police's use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology, saying the force's policy is 'unlawful' and breaches human rights law because it is incompatible with privacy, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly protections.
The LFR system scans faces recorded on CCTV and compares them against a watchlist of people police are seeking. The Met reports it has made more than 1,000 arrests since January 2024 using the technology and plans to deploy it at the Notting Hill Carnival.
Reported impact
The EHRC said the technology's use could have a 'chilling effect' on individuals' rights when used at protests. Anti-knife crime community worker Shaun Thompson was wrongly identified by LFR as a criminal last year and claims he was 'grossly mistreated' as a result.
Index analysis
The EHRC has been granted permission to intervene in an upcoming judicial review into the Met's use of LFR, brought by privacy campaigner Big Brother Watch director Silkie Carlo and Shaun Thompson.
Governance controls
The Met says it has developed a policy to operate the technology in a way which protects people's rights and privacy, and that the Court of Appeal has confirmed police can use LFR under Common Law powers. The Met believes its use of LFR is 'lawful and proportionate' and plays a key role in keeping Londoners safe.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.