500K Facial Recognition Scans at UK Stations Yield Zero Arrests, One False Positive (theguardian.com)
- Reference: 0185899190
- News link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/26/09/29/1736207/500k-facial-recognition-scans-at-uk-stations-yield-zero-arrests-one-false-positive
- Source link: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/29/trial-live-facial-recognition-cameras-london-stations-false-positive
Despite those results, BTP has extended the pilot through November and expanded it to selected Underground stations. The Guardian reports:
> British Transport Police said that since the extension there had been three positive confirmed alerts of people who were subsequently confirmed to be complying with sexual harm prevention orders or other imposed court conditions. When Transport for London announced its support for the extension of the trial, it said LFR technology "will target and identify people on police watchlists at key stations chosen for maximum impact" and would "specifically tackle violence against women and girls, whose travel behaviors are shaped by experiences of sexual harassment and sexual offenses."
>
> Fraser Sampson, a former biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner for the UK, said the police needed to show that the use of the technology was proportionate. "There many variables and all need to align: the choice of location, times of day, make up of the watchlist and likelihood of people being present and many more." Sampson, who is now a non-executive director of Facewatch, a company that operates facial recognition systems in shops, added: "We know the technology works, but using it in supermarkets to deter shoplifters and prevent attacks on staff is very different from deploying it to catch people on a public transport network."
>
> "Success in a shop means no such people coming in. Success for the police trying to catch people means people being caught. In that respect the trial doesn't appear to have been very fruitful. Everything depends on the police watchlists; if you're not on a watchlist, the live FRT cameras do not "see" you and they don't retain your image in the same way as CCTV cameras. However, they are processing special category personal data and the technology must be used in a way that is appropriate, proportionate and necessary. It's for the police to show how any deployment meets those criteria and -- as the ICO [information commissioner's office] has recently reported -- for their oversight boards to hold them firmly to account in doing so."
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/29/trial-live-facial-recognition-cameras-london-stations-false-positive
Police are the dumbest of humanity (Score:1)
You can't reason with them. Don't even try it.
The point isn't for arrests (Score:2, Insightful)
The point is to create data that can be mined to go after political enemies.
Nobody gives a shit when your car gets stolen. But you better believe that if you upset the Epstein class there are systems in place to deal with you.
If you want to see how fast you can get canceled for real as opposed to getting your third Netflix special tell some jokes about Israel's occupation of Palestine and let me know how that goes for you... Or crack a few jokes about how netanyahu knew about October 6th well in ad
Re:The point isn't for arrests (Score:4, Insightful)
Yep. Crime prevention is the excuse, not the reason.
Re: (Score:2)
When they say its cost £500000, is that before or after selling the scan data to Palantir and others?
Re: (Score:1)
how about anyone who talks about israel/palestine at all, no matter what you think about it, is fired and cancelled immediately because it is the most cringe and hollow virtue signal issue on both ends. everyone is insufferable talking about it and none of the people who talk about it and nothing else seem to know anything about it or care about actually fixing it.
the most worthless issue on the planet, the loudest voices don't give a shit about solving it, the whole thing is brain destroying. in america it
Re: The point isn't for arrests (Score:2)
Fuck off Nazi
Re: (Score:1)
Epstein class? Like the Clintons and Obamas?
For now, that is... (Score:5, Insightful)
> ... if you're not on a watchlist, the live FRT cameras do not "see" you and they don't retain your image in the same way as CCTV cameras.
This whole thing strikes me as one of those "bargains" likely to be altered, with a "pray I don't alter it further" thrown in for bad measure.
Re: (Score:3)
Do you actually believe they aren't retaining the data? Why?
Must be blithering idiots in charge (Score:2)
They should be charged the full cost of their follow-up failures and fired.
Re: If only... (Score:2)
That would amount to scanning 0.2% of London's daily rail passengers....
My guess is (Score:2)
Wanted people drive cars or bikes, where a face-mask doesn't raise suspicions.
Rule #1 (Score:2)
EVERY AI match must be veified by a competent human being! Too many people have already been arrested because AI thought they looked like someone else.
The scientific method (Score:5, Insightful)
A trail failing is actually a success. Let's see if the politicians and the police learn the actual lesson from the failure (I am not personally going to hold my breath for the learning).
Re: (Score:3)
It's a brave new world of endless incompetence.