Are live facial recognition cameras on Oxford Street justified?

Plans to deploy permanent live face recognition cameras on Oxford Street have triggered claims from civil liberties groups that the move would be a step too far and a lurch towards a surveillance society.

Metro visited Britain’s busiest shopping street to talk to shoppers and businesses about whether they backed the wider use of the tech which analyzes faces and can in an instant determine if they match mugshots on the national crime database.

Mayor Sadiq Khan has indicated that the newly pedestrianised Oxford Street will be among six areas in the West End to be fitted with permanent cameras next year.

The cameras could be fitted to lampposts or other permanent features in a move away from the current system of rigging the tech to vans which move around the capital.

They are aimed to pick up those on police wanted lists and persistent offenders in a bid to tackle the likes of shop lifters and phone thieves circling the West End where there are luxury shops and thousands of tourists.

What is clear on Oxford Street is that there is already a considerable presence of security guards on shops with hi vis vests and brandishing walkie talkies. 

The area is also bristling with CCTV cameras, some operated by Westminster Council and countless others by shops, many of which fear shoplifters or even in the case of luxury jewellers, armed robbers.

So is live facial recognition technology a necessary next step in the battle against criminals, is it rather a step too far in its potential to impinge on civil liberties?

Norwegian tourist Knud Lies, 69, was out shopping on Oxford Street during a visit to London. He said that civil liberties were too important to sacrifice even if the intention of the cameras was to lower crime.

He told Metro: ‘It’s a difficult question as fighting crime is obviously important. But I think civil liberties and protecting those are more important in this case. If this plan (for LFR cameras) was suggested in Norway I would be against it. I think the intrusion is too great.’

Chloe Marshall, 28, from Northampton was on a day out in London with her mother. 

She said: ‘I don’t like the idea of this in case the technology makes a mistake and in general it seems intrusive. I think there are too many cameras already. It seems like we are always being watched, I would like to be sure that these cameras could not be hacked or something like that. It makes me uneasy.’

Metro found that many people questioned saw the merits of the technology in fighting crime but were fearful of mistakes with tech glitches leading to mistaken identity.

Kasper Moller, a tourist from Germany said: ‘It’s a difficult debate as everyone wants less crime. But civil liberties are very important and who knows if the technology is 100% accurate? I think as a tourist walking down Oxford Street I would not like to have my face analyzed and what if I am wrongly identified as a bad guy. It’s a step too far I think.’

But security guards patrolling the street and businesses were overwhelmingly in favour of the introduction of LFR technology.

The Met has already trialled the technology in Croydon where crime was reduced by 10% and 173 arrests made in six months.

A member of staff at a major retail chain told Metro: ‘We are fighting an uphill battle against criminals who are stealing from us and our customers. The police can’t keep up with it and it’s not their fault as they just don’t have the resources.

‘If the facial recognition can help them then I think we have to back the decision. I know businesses are in favour and I think the public will get used to it. Just like they have got used to CCTV.’

A security guard at a nearby flagship tech store said: ‘If people saw the things we see here every day I think they would back having the cameras.

‘The criminals know this is an area where people are carrying valuables and because they are on holiday are a bit distracted so easy targets.

‘We see people we know are bad guys because of their body language and sometimes because they have been arrested in the past. The cameras would catch them.’

Some shoppers also backed the cameras and said security concerns outweighed the civil liberties argument.

Mark Culley, 52, said: ‘I think the streets of London have become plagued by phone thieves and shoplifters. We have to do something to tackle them and and this will help law and order, I’m in favour.’

Peter, 41, a Hungarian national who regularly visits London for work told Metro: ‘I have been coming to London for work for years and always stay in the same hotel near Oxford Street.

‘In the past few years things have got so much worse. The crime is terrible and the law is too soft here. Yes bring in the cameras or anything that can stop this crime.’

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said at a London Assembly meeting that Oxford Street was one of the high crime areas which would benefit from the live facial recognition cameras.

On the day Metro visited the famous shopping street police were scrambled to a number of incidents in the area with blue lights flashing past en route to call outs.

But civil liberties groups have rounded on the idea and called for more research and testing before the technology is widely introduced.

Ruth Ehrlich, of the human rights organisation Liberty, said: ‘This technology scans the faces of everyone who passes by, regardless of whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing.

‘If live facial recognition is to be deployed in one of the country’s busiest shopping and tourist destinations, there must be full transparency about how it will be used, what safeguards are in place and how its impact on people’s rights will be monitored.

‘The government has promised a legal framework for live facial recognition. The Met should not be rolling out any more of this technology before the framework is in place. Permanent cameras on Oxford Street would be a significant escalation in our nation’s capital.’

A spokesperson for the Mayor said: ‘The Mayor is committed to transforming Oxford Street into a word class pedestrian-friendly and safe destination.

‘As part of delivering that the Mayor is working with the Met, West End task force and Oxford Street Development Corporation on making best use of technology.

‘Backed by record funding from City Hall the Met are leading the way in using the latest technology including E-bikes, drones and Live Facial Recognition to arrest dangerous criminals and tackle and prevent violence in the capital.’

They said in Westminster there had been 14,000 fewer offenses in the past year since facial recognition cameras were introduced.
The spokesperson added: ‘The mayor is committed to ensuring the Met is open and transparent around where, when and how facial recognition technology is used.’

Meanwhile the Metropolitan Police insists the technology is key to crime fighting in the future as shown by its successful trial in Croydon while safeguards are in place.

A statement said: ‘It is important to note that static systems are only turned in when officers are present on the ground. and signs will make it clear that deployment is taking place. The public would rightly expect us to look at technology to keep the busiest parts of our capital safe.’

They added that the exact location of cameras was yet to be decided.