Met wins judicial review over use of Live Facial Recognition

The Met has won a judicial review into the use of Live Facial Recognition across London. The Court concluded that the Met’s policy complies with human rights law, recognising that it contains clear, precise and effective safeguards.

Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, said:

“This legal judgment is a significant and important victory for public safety. It confirms that the Met is right - and acting lawfully to use the best modern technology to reduce crime and keep pace with the evolving threats we face.

“Live Facial Recognition works and is one of the biggest break throughs for policing. It is actively removing thousands of dangerous and wanted offenders from London’s streets, including individuals who pose a serious and ongoing threat to our communities - those wanted for the most serious offences, such as rape, domestic abuse, and child sexual offences. Our data shows that the technology is highly accurate and we have already made more than 2,100 arrests. Last year alone, more than three million faces walked past the cameras, resulting in just 12 false alerts, none of which led to an arrest. Crucially, every alert is reviewed by trained officers before any action is taken.

“The court has been clear: our use of Live Facial Recognition is lawful and supported by strong safeguards. The judgment confirms that we are deploying this technology responsibly and with care. It shows that fairness, accuracy and accountability were part of the design from the beginning. It also recognises that the Met has strong oversight and safeguards in place. These include checks to ensure use is proportionate and that people’s rights - such as privacy and freedom of expression are protected in a way which does not breach human rights.

“The public is firmly on our side. Around 80 per cent of Londoners support the use of Live Facial Recognition to help keep them safe. Yet a small number of campaign groups continue to argue that police should be prevented from using a proven tool that helps us catch paedophiles, rapists, violent criminals and those wanted by the courts. That position is increasingly out of step with both public opinion and the realities of both modern communities and policing.

“This is not secret surveillance. Deployments are clearly signposted and highly visible, and technology never replaces professional judgement. Trained officers assess alerts on the ground and decide what action, if any, is necessary.

“LFR technology is a key part of our determination to accelerate the use of smart policing tools to better protect London’s communities while making the best possible use of limited resources. It helps us catch more criminals quickly and precisely, saves officer time, and ultimately saves money.

“The courts have confirmed our approach is lawful. The public supports its use. It works. And it helps us keep Londoners safe. The question is no longer whether we should use Live Facial Recognition - it’s why we would choose not to.

“Technology is advancing at record speed, and policing cannot afford to stand still – criminals won’t. Facial Recognition is transformational for policing. Government and Parliament will want to carefully consider how they continue to enable, rather then over‑regulate, the use of technologies that help us prevent crime and protect the public as proven today."

Notes to editors:

• Since the start of 2024, more than 2,100 arrests have been made and of those, 24% were for violence against women and girls offences (VAWG). More than 1,400 individuals have been charged or cautioned.
  
• More than 100 sex offenders have been arrested using the technology in this way – helping to protect vulnerable children from paedophiles who would otherwise be free to cause harm.
  
• Public confidence matters. Eighty per cent of Londoners support the use of LFR, and we will continue to engage openly with our communities to build understanding of how the technology works. We are committed to providing clear reassurance that rigorous checks, oversight, and governance are embedded at every stage to safeguard people’s rights and privacy.
  
• Independent testing by the National Physical Laboratory found that at the thresholds the MPS work at (minimum of 0.6, typically 0.64) the system is accurate and balanced with regard to ethnicity and gender.
  
• We have stringent safeguards in place to protect people’s rights and privacy. Independent testing confirms that the technology performs consistently across demographic groups, and our operational data shows an exceptionally low false alert rate.