Lib Dems challenge Minister on Met facial recognition surveillance

This afternoon, Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney challenged the Policing Minister on the Metropolitan Police's rollout of automated facial recognition surveillance in London.

The MP for Richmond Park secured an Urgent Question in the House of Commons on the Met's announcement that it will begin operational use of facial recognition surveillance within a month. She highlighted concerns about the impact of facial recognition on human rights, the lack of a legal framework to govern its use, its inaccuracy and its bias against women and BAME people.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London Siobhan Benita criticised Sadiq Khan for his decision "to give this rollout the go-ahead without proper consultation or regulation".

Following the debate, Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney said:

"We must not allow the UK to become a society where innocent people feel as though their every movement is being watched by the police.

"The independent review of the Met's trials was damning, especially about the impact of facial recognition surveillance on human rights.

"It cannot be right for this new form of mass surveillance to be rolled out without any safeguards to protect innocent people from being discriminated against or having their privacy invaded.

"Liberal Democrats are standing up for civil liberties and calling for an immediate halt to the police's use of facial recognition surveillance."

Siobhan Benita, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London, added:

"Sadiq Khan is wrong to give this rollout the go-ahead without proper consultation or regulation and the fact that he has done so undermines his claim to share our liberal values.

"The technology is hopelessly inaccurate and will further damage trust between the police and communities.

"To make London safer I would restore effective community policing, starting with the re-opening of local police stations, which the current Mayor has shut down."