Brit rail cops bring live facial recognition to the London Underground

British Transport Police is expanding its trial of live facial recognition (LFR) technology to London Underground stations, despite concerns over privacy and the potential for mistaken identity. The force, responsible for policing railways across England, Scotland, and Wales, will begin deploying cameras at Victoria Underground station, with the trial set to continue across Underground and Network Rail stations until November.

The trial, which began at London Bridge railway station in February, aims to determine the technology's effectiveness in a railway environment.

Live facial recognition scans faces within a camera's field of view and compares them to a police watchlist. If a match is found, an officer must review the alert before deciding on further action. The technology used relies on the NEC NeoFace M40 algorithm, consistent across multiple forces. Critics argue that the technology is dystopian and intrusive, with errors leading to innocent individuals being mistaken for criminals and detained. Ethnic minorities appear to be more susceptible to false matches.

This deployment marks a significant expansion of live facial recognition in the UK, with the London Underground network handling over 3.7 million passenger journeys daily during peak times. A recent survey of 2,000 UK adults found that 69% believe the public should have a say in how the technology is used, while 61% expressed concerns about potential errors resulting in wrongful accusations. Additionally, 57% were worried about the storage of facial images.

British Transport Police assures that unauthorized images are deleted immediately and permanently. However, a spokesperson for the force referred to the comments made by chief superintendent Chris Casey, emphasizing their focus on public protection, crime prevention, and ensuring the technology's lawful, proportional, and transparent use.