UK Police Use Real-Time Facial Recognition to Arrest Over 500 Individuals
London's Metropolitan Police announced that real-time facial recognition technology deployed in 2024 led to the arrest of over 540 individuals suspected of various crimes. Civil rights organizations expressed concerns that the surveillance system threatens privacy and freedoms, while police stated they had implemented safeguards including automatic deletion of biometric data for non-watchlisted individuals.
What happened
London's Metropolitan Police announced on 6 December 2024 that over 500 people had been arrested using real-time facial recognition technology deployed during 2024.
The system captures live facial images of passers-by and compares them against a watchlist of suspects. Mobile vans equipped with cameras were deployed in areas such as Croydon in south London, with alerts triggered when watchlisted individuals were detected.
Of the 540 individuals arrested, 406 were subsequently charged or received a police caution, according to the Metropolitan Police statement. The arrests covered suspects accused of rape, assault, domestic violence, harassment and shoplifting.
Reported impact
Civil society organization Big Brother Watch campaigned against the technology, describing it as 'dangerously authoritarian' surveillance that 'constitutes a threat to our privacy and our freedoms' and sets a 'dangerous precedent globally'.
Index analysis
The EU's AI Act prohibits real-time facial recognition technology but exempts law enforcement use for counter-terrorism and serious crime investigation.
Governance controls
The Metropolitan Police stated that 'robust safeguards' were implemented to prevent misuse. According to the force, if a person passes a camera and does not appear on a police watchlist, their biometric data is 'immediately and permanently deleted'.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.