Live Facial Recognition Deployed in London Made 500 Arrests
London's Metropolitan Police (LMP) force has highlighted the usefulness of facial recognition technology. The force said it’s had make more than 500 arrests in 2024. LMP deploys live facial recognition in select parts of London, stationing a van equipped with cameras at a predetermined location.
The Live CAM
The deployed cameras capture live footage of people passing-by and compare their faces against a pre-approved watchlist, generating an alert if a match is detected. In other words, the live facial technology works by creating a 'faceprint' of everyone who passes in front of camera
However, the civil liberties campaigners have criticized the use of such technology. The criticized that the tech processes people’s biometric data as sensitive as a fingerprint, often without their knowledge or consent.
In addition the civil liberties campaigners opposition, an advocacy group, Big Brother Watch, has also launched legal action to stop its expansion and usage of live facial recognition technology in the country.
“This dangerously authoritarian surveillance is a threat to our privacy and freedoms—it has no place on the streets of Britain,” the group emphasized.
While the Civil Liberties Campaigners and Big Brother Watch are opposing the utilization of the technology on UK cities, London Metropolitan Police says the tech helps "make London safer" by helping detect "offenders who pose significant risks and threats to our communities".
The police force made it clear that out of the 540 people who were arrested using the live facial recognition technology, over 50 were for serious offenses against women and girls, including crimes such as strangulation, stalking, domestic abuse, and r*pe.
Regarding and responding to the organization and people who criticize the technology and privacy concerns, the London Police Department said that the biometric data collected is immediately deleted permanently if the individual is not on the system watchlist.
