British Transport Police start using live facial recognition | Computer Weekly

"A BTP press release added that people who are not included on a watchlist cannot be identified, and made assurances about how information will be handled: "People who prefer not to enter the recognition zone will have alternative routes available and images of anyone not on the authorised database will be deleted immediately and permanently." The decision to deploy LFR at major transport hubs occurred while the Home Office's 10-week consultation on LFR - which ended on 12 February 2026 - was still ongoing."

"Human rights group Liberty, which won the first legal challenge against police use of the tech in August 2020, previously urged the government to halt the expansion of police LFR while the consultation is taking place. In December 2025, the Home Office said: "Although a patchwork legal framework for police facial recognition exists, it does not give police themselves the confidence to use it at a significantly greater scale""

British Transport Police will run a six‑month live facial recognition trial at major London transport hubs, starting at London Bridge station on 11 February 2026. Future operation dates and locations will be published online beforehand. BTP says people not on a watchlist cannot be identified, images of anyone not on the authorised database will be deleted immediately and permanently, and alternative routes will be available to avoid recognition zones. The deployment began while a Home Office 10‑week consultation on LFR was still ongoing. The Home Secretary announced an extensive roll‑out of facial recognition, and Liberty urged a pause; the Home Office warned that a patchwork legal framework undermines police confidence.

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