UK privacy concerns mount as police facial recognition scans surpass 50k a day

There is an increasing number of faces being scanned by a live facial recognition system in the UK despite persisting concerns that the technology is being used without proper safeguards in place.

Telegraph reports that up to 51,000 faces were scanned in a single day by the LFR technology around London Underground stations in August.

The Metropolitan Police have been expanding the use of the LFR in those stations as part of efforts to curb crime. Last month, the UK Home Office announced the deployment of more police vans equipped with the system with planned coverage of more public spaces in England and Wales.

Live feeds from faces scanned by the surveillance cameras are matched in real-time using NEC biometric software to identify those on the police watchlist.

As names on the wanted list have increased to over 16,000 in 2025 from under 7,000 in 2022, so have the number of scans per day increased from less than 12,000 each day, the outlet indicates.

The police say more than 1,000 offenders have been arrested thanks to the live LFR system since it was introduced in London, with over 700 of them already charged. A spokesperson for the police told Telegraph that some of those who have fallen into the dragnet are wanted for crimes such as domestic abuse and rape.

Officers say the Met is banking on the LFR system to strengthen the fight against criminality, and that appropriate safeguards have been put in place.

But rights advocates continue their scathing criticism of the move, with a policy and campaigns officer Charlie Whelton, quoted as charging that “it’s incredibly concerning to see an expansion of facial recognition, especially at a time when there is a complete lack of regulation governing its use.”

He warned that the UK government has to immediately work on a legislation to regulate the technology, and that there was need for “robust safeguards around its use.”

As the debates rage on, a judicial review into the use of the technology has been planned and a UK rights regulator was recently granted permission to have a say in the process, specifically on whether the deployment aligns with human rights law.

There are ongoing consultations to develop a new regulatory framework for the system, which the police say is meant to keep the streets of cities around the country safe.

Article Topics

biometric matching  |  biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  London Metropolitan Police  |  NEC Software Solutions UK  |  police  |  real-time biometrics  |  UK