Oxford Street to install live facial recognition cameras

The Metropolitan Police are reportedly planning to implement live facial recognition technology on one of the busiest shopping streets in London.

Live facial recognition cameras [1] are expected to be deployed on one of the busiest shopping streets in the UK, according to an indication from [2] the Mayor of London. The Metropolitan Police has expressed a desire to broaden the use of this technology throughout the capital, and Mayor Sadiq Khan has suggested that the newly pedestrianised Oxford Street will be part of this initiative. This would place the area among the first in the country to establish a permanent live facial recognition or LFR system, which would scan the faces of passersby and match them against a watch list of wanted suspects.

The cameras are anticipated to be affixed to street furniture, such as lampposts, instead of being mounted on temporary police vans, as has previously been the practice. “The Met is working really closely with the Oxford Street Development Corporation about how, when we pedestrianise that street, we use LFR in a sensible way, using the opportunity of new CCTV to use LFR,” said Mayor Khan. A spokesperson for the Mayor of London also said, “As part of delivering that, the mayor is working with the Met, West End Taskforce and Oxford Street Development Corporation on making best use of technology. Backed by record funding from city hall, the Met are leading the way in using the latest technology, including ebikes, drones and live facial recognition, to arrest dangerous criminals and tackle and prevent violence in the capital.”

However, Ruth Ehrlich, who [3] is the Director of External Relations at Liberty warns that the potential implementation of [4] permanent live facial recognition cameras on Oxford Street represents a notable increase in surveillance in public areas. “The prospect of permanent live facial recognition cameras being introduced on Oxford Street marks a significant expansion of surveillance in public spaces. This technology scans the faces of everyone who passes by, regardless of whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing. If live facial recognition is to be deployed in one of the country’s busiest shopping and tourist destinations, there must be full transparency about how it will be used, what safeguards are in place, and how its impact on people’s rights will be monitored. The government has promised a legal framework for live facial recognition. The Met should not be rolling out more of this technology before that framework is in place. Permanent cameras on Oxford Street would be a significant escalation in our nation’s capital.”

Jasleen Chaggar, who [5] is the Senior Legal and Policy Officer at Big Brother Watch also warns that implementing plans to transform the recently pedestrian-friendly Oxford Street into a permanent digital police line-up utilizing live facial recognition technology would be a misstep and have urged [6] the Mayor Khan to reconsider the proposal. “Plans to turn the newly walkable Oxford Street into a permanent digital police line-up using live facial recognition software would be a mistake. Innocent Londoners who are not suspected of any crime by the police should be able to wander around public spaces without identifying themselves to the authorities. A face scan is as unique as a fingerprint. The police cannot take your fingerprints when you are not suspected of wrongdoing. Taking a faceprint is no less intrusive just because it happens remotely. The West End rivals the best cities in the world for its culture and nightlife. The mayor should abandon the plans to roll out Orwellian biometric software which would instead place London in the company of authoritarian regimes.”

On August 12, it was reported [7] that Sainsbury's has implemented facial recognition technology in an additional store in Bath, announcing plans for a broader deployment by the end of the year. Sainsbury's initiated trials of facial recognition software in select locations in 2025, with a store on Moorland Road in Bath among the first to participate. A spokesperson confirmed that the company plans to expand the technology to 200 supermarkets by the end of the year. Critics contend that the technology constitutes an invasion of privacy. Madeleine Stone, [8] a senior advocacy officer at Big Brother Watch, has voiced these concerns. “Sainsbury’s decision to trial Orwellian facial recognition technology in its shops is deeply disproportionate and chilling. Sainsbury’s should abandon this trial and the government must urgently step in to prevent the unchecked spread of this invasive technology.”

Sainsbury's [9] is set to increase the implementation of facial recognition technology from 55 to 200 locations across the country. This decision follows an incident earlier this year in which a London resident, was mistakenly removed from a Sainsbury's store due to a misidentification by the system. Innocent shoppers should not have to submit to Orwellian identity checks just to buy a loaf of bread or pick up nappies. “The mass rollout of live facial recognition across Sainsbury’s stores is a shameful decision that treats customers like suspects, putting millions of law-abiding people at serious risk of privacy intrusions and humiliating false shoplifting accusations,” said [10] Director of Big Brother Watch Silkie Carlo.

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