UK police facial recognition scans soar: What is FRT
Facial recognition is getting a major push from UK police, especially after the Met announced plans to ramp up its use.
This tech scans faces from photos or live video and checks them against big databases—sometimes instantly, sometimes later.
The Met plans to more than double live deployments
The Met wants to more than double live deployments and is putting up the UK's first permanent facial recognition cameras in Croydon.
Database searches have exploded—from just two in 2020 to over 400 last year—with a sharp rise in immigration photo scans, often without much public oversight.
Scans have increased rapidly over the last few years
Nearly 800,000 people have been scanned, but the number of arrests linked to FRT has passed the 1,000 mark.
The tech often misidentifies people of color, raising real concerns about fairness and wrongful arrests.
With little legal oversight so far, privacy and equality are at risk.
Campaigners want urgent rules and independent checks
Campaigners want urgent rules and independent checks on police use of facial recognition—to protect rights and make sure the tech isn't used unfairly or without accountability.