Met Police win High Court challenge over live facial recognition
Met Police win High Court challenge over live facial recognition
High Court rejects privacy challenge as Met Police continues rollout of live facial recognition across London, citing public safety gains.
A High Court ruling has cleared the Met Police of breaching human rights or privacy law with its live facial recognition (LFR) system, allowing the technology to continue being deployed in London. The challenge was brought by Shaun Thompson, a youth worker, and Silkie Carlo of Big Brother Watch, who warned that facial recognition could be used in arbitrary or discriminatory ways. The court’s decision marks a major step in the ongoing rollout of LFR, described by the police commissioner as an important victory for public safety. Thompson has said he intends to appeal the decision, while Policing Minister Sarah Jones welcomed the ruling, arguing that true liberty requires protection from crime and that facial recognition will be rolled out with strong safeguards and “record investment.”
