500k facial scans at UK stations yield no arrests, 1 false positive
2 hours ago
- A six-month live facial recognition (LFR) trial in London railway stations cost over £320,000 and 100 hours of police time.
- The trial scanned more than half a million faces but resulted in only one false positive alert and no arrests.
- Despite the lack of direct arrests, British Transport Police extended the trial by four months and expanded it to London Underground stations, reporting three positive alerts since extension.
- Privacy and human rights groups criticize the technology as an invasion of privacy, with calls for stronger safeguards and a legal framework.
- Police claim associated arrests were made during deployments (e.g., assault, theft) but these were not directly from LFR alerts.