A six-month trial of live facial recognition (LFR) technology in London’s railway stations resulted in only one incorrect alert and no arrests, according to freedom of information documents obtained by Liberty Investigates and shared with the Guardian.
London facial recognition trial yields one false positive and no arrests
The trial, conducted by the British Transport Police (BTP) between February and July this year, involved scanning more than half a million faces across 18 deployments in busy transport hubs. The pilot cost more than £320,000 and required nearly 100 police officer hours. The single alert triggered during the trial was identified as a false positive, an incorrect identification.
Despite the lack of direct arrests from LFR alerts, the BTP stated that officers made various arrests during these deployments for offenses such as assault, theft, and breaches of criminal behavior orders. However, these arrests were not linked directly to LFR alerts and are therefore excluded from the technology's performance data.
The BTP has announced an extension of the trial for four months, expanding deployments to include London Underground stations. The BTP stated the pilot aimed to understand how LFR can effectively support the identification of wanted offenders and individuals posing a risk to passengers and staff. Transport for London added that the technology is intended to target individuals on police watchlists to tackle issues such as violence against women and girls.
Critics have raised concerns regarding privacy and proportionality. Fraser Sampson, a former biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner, noted that the technology must be used in a way that is appropriate and necessary. Bell Ribeiro-Addy, a Labour MP, described the technology as a "serious invasion of our privacy" and called for a suspension of the rollout until stronger legal safeguards are in place.
Sources
- 500k facial scans at UK stations yield no arrests, 1 false positive （Hacker News Frontpage, 2026-09-29）