Summary
Shaun Thompson is taking legal action against the Metropolitan Police for wrongly identifying him as a suspect using live facial recognition technology. This is the first legal case in the UK challenging the police's use of this technology. The Met Police plans to increase the use of facial recognition, arguing it helps catch dangerous criminals.
Key Facts
- Shaun Thompson was mistakenly identified as a suspect by the police using facial recognition technology.
- He was stopped by police near London Bridge in February last year.
- A privacy group called Big Brother Watch supports his legal challenge, concerned about the technology's privacy implications.
- The Met Police plans to double the use of live facial recognition in London.
- As of 2024, the Met Police reported over 1,000 arrests using the technology, with 773 resulting in charges or cautions.
- There were 457 arrests and seven false alerts since January 2025.
- Facial recognition maps facial features and matches them against a database of suspects.
- The legal challenge aims to review the use of facial recognition's rules and its societal impact.
