The Equality Regulatory of the UK has criticized the use of live facial recognition technology (LFRT) of the Metropolitan Police, stating that the way it is being deployed is violating the human rights law.
Tech works by scanning the faces of the people registered on CCTV and then compares them against a monitoring of those who are looking for the police.
Met says that it has made more than 1,000 arrests from January 2024 using LFRT and is convinced that it uses it legally.
But the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) says that technology should be used only in an essential and proportional manner, and arguing that “the current policy of Metropolitan Police is lower than this standard.”
The EHRC has been allowed to intervene in an upcoming judicial review in the use of monitoring equipment forces.
EHRC Chief Executive Officer John Kirkpatrick admitted that technology could be used to deal with serious crime and protect people.
But he said in a statement: “There should be clear rules that guarantee that live facial recognition technology is used only where necessary, proportional and proper safety measures. We believe that the current policy of the Metropolitan Police is reduced by this standard.”
A Met Police spokesperson told the BBC: “A judicial review hearing is scheduled for January 2026 and we are completely engaged in this process. We are confident that our facial recognition is valid and follows the policy.”
The EHRC stated that it had recognized the potential benefits of technology in policing, but was worried that the current policy of Mate dissolved the major human rights security and pose a threat to human rights.
These include the rights of privacy, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, determined in the European Conference on Human Rights.
Last month, Mate said that Tech had enabled it to arrest suspected criminals, including 773, including alleged pedophiles, rapists and violent robbers, out of which 773 were accused or warned.
Mate has announced a plan to use technology in police major programs like Notting Hill Carnival – A. Proposal,
Civil rights groups and privacy campaigners have consistently opposed LFRT, stating that it invades the privacy of the people, and carries unacceptable risk of incorrect identity.
Met has defended its use, however, saying that it helps Cut off crime at a time when “money is tight.”
Currently, there is no specific domestic law regulating the police use of live facial recognition tech.
