Live Facial Recognition

Emma Best AM moved, and Neil Garratt AM seconded the following motion:

“This Assembly believes that Live Facial Recognition (LFR) has become an important tool in helping the Metropolitan Police identify wanted offenders, protect vulnerable people and prevent crime. 

This Assembly notes that the use of LFR has been subject to significant scrutiny, and welcomes the High Court's recent confirmation that the Metropolitan Police's LFR policy complies with human rights law. 

This Assembly further notes that LFR has already led to more than 2,100 arrests in London, and is increasingly incredibly accurate – with more than three million faces walking past the cameras in 2025, resulting in just 12 false alerts and no false arrests.

We recognise that many Londoners have legitimate concerns about the use of this technology, and we acknowledge that a number of misconceptions about LFR remain. It is important to note that following the Court of Appeal’s judgment in R (Bridges) v Chief Constable of South Wales Police, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has not only acted on the court’s recommendations but has gone beyond them. 

Robust and tightly controlled safeguards are now in place to regulate how this technology is used. While we recognise that policing practices must continue to evolve and improve, we welcome the steps taken so far. We also encourage the MPS to maintain ongoing engagement with Londoners to build understanding, address concerns, and ensure public confidence in the use of LFR is maintained."

Following debate and upon being put to a vote, the motion was agreed with 14 votes being cast in favour, and 3 votes cast against.