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The Metropolitan police are understood to be planning to use live facial recognition (LFR) technology on Britain’s busiest shopping street.
In June, the Met said it would introduce the technology in London’s West End by Christmas and into a further six areas next year. Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, has indicated that the newly pedestrianised Oxford Street will be included.
This would make it among the first areas in the country to have permanent LFR infrastructure scanning the faces of people passing and comparing them with a watchlist of wanted suspects.
The cameras will be fixed and could be attached to street furniture such as lamp-posts, rather than a temporary police van as has been the case in trials.
Human rights groups have widely criticised LFR. One organisation described the proposed introduction on Oxford Street as an escalation in routine public surveillance. There is evidence that the algorithm used to power it can discriminate against black people.
Scotland Yard plans to use static LFR cameras in London’s West End and Soho, which have some of the highest crime rates in the city. The technology has started to be deployed at tube stations this month.
During a city hall session in July, Khan said: “The Met is working really closely with the Oxford Street Development Corporation about how, when we pedestrianise that street, we use LFR in a sensible way, using the opportunity of new CCTV to use LFR.”
Ruth Ehrlich, of the human rights organisation Liberty, said using live facial recognition cameras on Oxford Street would mark “a significant expansion of surveillance in public spaces” and “an escalation”.
“This technology scans the faces of everyone who passes by, regardless of whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing,” she said.
“If live facial recognition is to be deployed in one of the country’s busiest shopping and tourist destinations, there must be full transparency about how it will be used, what safeguards are in place and how its impact on people’s rights will be monitored.”
She urged the Met not to introduce more LFR before the government produces its forthcoming legal framework for the use of facial recognition by law enforcement.
Recent polling commissioned by Liberty suggested 48% of people oppose scanning the faces of those walking on high streets when there is no suspected imminent threat.
Jasleen Chaggar, of the campaign group Big Brother Watch, urged the mayor to abandon the idea. “A face scan is as unique as a fingerprint,” she said. “The police cannot take your fingerprints when you are not suspected of wrongdoing. Taking a faceprint is no less intrusive just because it happens remotely.”
A spokesperson for the mayor said the introduction of LFR was part of the move to make Oxford Street “a world-class, pedestrian-friendly and safe destination”.
He said: “As part of delivering that, the mayor is working with the Met, West End Taskforce and Oxford Street Development Corporation on making best use of technology. Backed by record funding from city hall, the Met are leading the way in using the latest technology, including ebikes, drones and live facial recognition, to arrest dangerous criminals and tackle and prevent violence in the capital.
“In Westminster, neighbourhood crime has fallen, with 14,000 fewer offences in the past year and the Met’s rollout of live facial recognition in the West End and Soho will help drive down crime rates even further.
“The mayor is committed to ensuring the Met is open and transparent around where, when, why and how live facial recognition technology is used. His Office for Policing and Crime will continue to scrutinise and oversee its use to ensure there’s trust and confidence in policing, as we continue to build a safer London for everyone.”
