Oxford Street to Deploy Live Facial Recognition Cameras
New surveillance technology arrives in December amid ongoing government consultation on biometric legal frameworks.
Callum Smith
Oxford Street will install live facial recognition cameras in December.
The Metropolitan Police have already made over 2,000 arrests using facial recognition since the start of 2024. Sir Mark Rowley described the technology as "one of the most revolutionary technology advances in policing in recent years."
One of the most revolutionary technology advances in policing in recent years.
These new static live facial recognition cameras will attach to street furniture, such as lampposts. This expansion proceeds as the Government continues to develop a legal framework for biometric technologies, having launched a public consultation in December 2025.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson claims static cameras piloted in Croydon for six months contributed to a 10 percent reduction in crime and led to 173 arrests. This equates to one arrest every 35 minutes during the pilot.
Kemi Badenoch stated, "We will expand live, facial recognition so that instead of spending hours and hours crawling through CCTV, you’ll get a match in seconds." This expansion aligns with broader government intentions.
Akiko Hart, however, claims the introduction of this technology on Oxford Street will mean "thousands of Christmas shoppers will have their faces scanned by this unregulated surveillance technology without being given a choice." Liberty also claims thousands of Christmas shoppers will be subjected to unregulated surveillance technology without consent.
The Home Office expects to publish its response to the public consultation later this Parliamentary session. This response will address the legal framework surrounding biometric technologies, including live facial recognition.