Nearly half of the facial recognition in London last year occurred in areas with a higher proportion of Black residents than the city’s average, The Voice Newspaper reports.
Researchers from a political group in London circulated figures highlighting live facial recognition (LFR), which was used 180 times in 2024. More than half of these occurrences were in places with a larger Black population than the city’s average.
How many faces were scanned?
Across London, around two million people had their faces scanned, but only 804 arrests were made, which is equivalent to 0.04%. Last week, London’s Metropolitan Police announced they will permanently use live facial recognition cameras in Croydon, making it the first permanent deployment in London.
Reinforcing stereotypes about Black people
Croydon has one of the highest proportions of Black people in London, and 128,518 faces were scanned for just 133 arrests. This means more than 120,000 faces were scanned in Croydon by the police for no reason at all.
“Facial recognition subjects everyone to constant surveillance, which goes against the democratic principle that you shouldn’t be monitored unless there’s a suspicion of wrongdoing,” British politician Zoë Garbett said when commenting on the figures.
“While people recognise more overt forms of discriminatory over policing, such as stop and search practices, facial recognition technology presents a new threat. Black Londoners are disproportionately surveilled, highlighting a growing racial disparity that often goes unnoticed,” she adds.
Image: Chuko Cribb
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