Met to expand use of live facial recognition into central London by Christmas

London's Metropolitan Police will deploy fixed live facial recognition cameras in the West End by the end of the year, with six additional areas planned for 2026, placing tens of thousands of daily pedestrians within continuous biometric surveillance. Critics have described the expansion as forcing the public into a permanent digital police lineup without meaningful consent mechanisms. The rollout represents one of the most significant expansions of automated mass surveillance in a Western democracy to date.