Cops Spying on Londoners’ Faces Sparks Human Rights Concerns
- Human rights group Liberty condemns ‘dangerous’ decision
- Police say facial-recognition cameras could catch criminals
Security cameras on Regent Street in central London.
Photographer: Jason Alden/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Londoners on their morning commute or evening stroll will be scanned as police deploy live facial-recognition cameras around the city, an effort that human-rights groups say is a “dangerous and sinister step.”
The technology will focus on people in specific parts of the city where offenders are most likely to be caught, the Metropolitan Police said Friday. Each system will have its own “watch list” made up of images of criminals wanted for serious and violent offenses.