London Police Use Facial Recognition to Arrest Over 500 Suspects in 2024

The technology has led to the arrest of more than 50 sex offenders and individuals accused of violent crimes, while raising privacy concerns among civil liberties groups.

• The Metropolitan Police in London used live facial recognition technology to arrest over 500 individuals in 2024 for crimes ranging from theft to rape.
• More than 50 sex offenders and individuals accused of serious violence against women, including stalking, domestic abuse, and rape, were among those apprehended.
• The system compares live footage of passers-by against a pre-approved watchlist, alerting officers when a match is detected for further investigation.
• Police state that biometric data of individuals not on the watchlist is immediately and permanently deleted to address privacy concerns.
• Civil liberties groups, such as Big Brother Watch, have criticized the technology as invasive and launched legal challenges to halt its expansion.

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