UK railway facial recognition trial scans 500k faces, yields no arrests and one false positive

Trial Results and Costs

A six-month trial of live facial recognition (LFR) technology conducted by the British Transport Police (BTP) in London's railway stations scanned over half a million faces. The trial, which ran from February to July, cost £320,786 for equipment hire and police staffing. During this period, the system generated only one alert against a watchlist, which was subsequently identified as a false positive, and led to no arrests.

Trial Extension and Rationale

Despite the initial results, the BTP announced an extension of the trial for an additional four months, expanding its deployment to include London Underground stations. Transport for London supported this extension, stating that the LFR technology aims to target individuals on police watchlists at key stations to address violence against women and girls.

Expert Commentary on Proportionality

Fraser Sampson, former biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner for the UK, commented on the need for police to demonstrate the proportionality of the technology's use. He highlighted that while the technology itself functions, its application in public transport for law enforcement differs significantly from its use in private settings like shops for deterring shoplifting. Sampson noted that the trial's effectiveness depends heavily on the police watchlists and the likelihood of targeted individuals being present.