EHRC challenges Met facial recognition use

The EHRC says the Met’s live facial recognition use breaches human rights law and seeks judicial review.

Regulator raises concerns over Met facial recognition camera use

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has criticised the Metropolitan Police for using live facial recognition technology, arguing the deployment breaches human rights law and falls short of the required standard of necessity and proportionality. The EHRC has been granted permission to intervene in an upcoming judicial review into the force’s use of the surveillance tool. John Kirkpatrick, chief executive of the EHRC, stressed that there must be clear rules to ensure the technology is used only where necessary, proportionate and safeguarded by proper protections. The Met Police says the judicial review hearing is set for January 2026 and that its use of live facial recognition is lawful and in line with policy.

The Met notes it has made more than 1,000 arrests since January 2024 using LFRT and continues to defend its policing approach, while the EHRC highlights the need for robust oversight and concrete safeguards to prevent abuses.

This confrontation spotlights a broader debate about how modern policing should deploy facial recognition. The court challenge could shape how quickly tech is adopted in public spaces, and how tightly it is regulated. The case raises questions about transparency, independent review, and the balance between public safety and civil liberties. As courts weigh technical effectiveness against rights, trust in policing may hinge on proven safeguards and implementable limits rather than on promises of safety alone.

Highlights

A careful legal path may define how crime prevention and civil rights share the frame of future policing.