CHRISTMAS shoppers heading down Britain’s busiest high street will now be scanned with facial recognition.
The technology is expected to be installed in December, just in time for the busy festive shopping period.
Oxford Street is set to become one of the first areas in the country to have permanent, .
The tech will scan the faces of people passing through and comparing them with a watchlist of wanted suspects.
LFR was first trialled by the Met in August 2016 at the Notting Hill Carnival. and first officially deployed the technology in 2020.
However, it has been widely criticised by human rights groups, with one organisation describing the technology as “unregulated”.
Akiko Hart, director of human rights organisation Liberty, told the Press Association the move will mean “thousands of Christmas shoppers will have their faces scanned by this unregulated surveillance technology without being given a choice”.
However, a spokesperson for the Met said: “Live, facial recognition is an important tool which is helping us keep London safe.
“Static cameras have already been piloted in Croydon for six months and contributed to a 10% reduction in crime and led to 173 arrests – one every 35 minutes.
“Considering this success, the public would rightly expect us to look at how we can use technology to keep the busiest parts of our capital safe”
It comes as parts of
The Met also plans to use static, live, facial recognition cameras in London’s West End and Soho – which have some of the highest crime rates in London.
The Government launched a public consultation in December 2025 to develop a legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.
The Home Office is expected to publish its response to the public consultation later this Parliamentary session.
