Notting Hill Carnival Plans for Live Facial Recognition Stir Debate

Plans to deploy live facial recognition technology at Notting Hill Carnival next weekend have intensified a dispute over civil liberties, safety, and the appropriate limits of policing. The Metropolitan Police say the technology will be used at the event in a targeted, proportionate way to identify serious offenders and those who pose a risk to public safety, while critics warn that the lack of a clear legal framework and independent safeguards leaves individuals’ rights at risk and threatens policing by consent.

The Notting Hill deployment forms part of a broader expansion of live facial recognition capabilities that have sparked widespread debate across the country. A permanent network of fixed cameras is planned for Croydon in the coming months, and the Met has signalled a broader rollout for major public events. At Notting Hill, cameras will be mounted on approaches to the event and at entry and exit points, outside the event’s boundaries, with screening arches to manage the crowds. Authorities say the carnival, which attracts up to about two million people, remains community-led but that additional policing tools are needed to prevent violence and sexual offences.