Overview

• Sir Mark Rowley confirmed live facial recognition will operate at entry and exit points over the August bank holiday to identify wanted suspects on police databases.
• Rowley said the current algorithm has been independently tested, performs to a higher standard, and will be used in a non-discriminatory way after earlier carnival trials produced 102 false alerts and no arrests.
• The commissioner pointed to public safety, noting 349 arrests at last year’s event for serious offences including homicide, rape and weapons possession.
• The Met cited 2024 results of 1,190 offenders removed leading to more than 890 charges or cautions, and said non-matches are deleted instantly under data-protection rules.
• Eleven civil-liberty and anti-racism groups urged cancellation, warning of lower accuracy for women and people of colour and arguing there is no dedicated statutory framework, while Shaun Thompson’s judicial review over a wrongful match remains pending.