High Court grants legal challenge against facial recognition use by Met Police

The High Court in London has granted an anti-knife crime community worker, Shaun Thompson, permission to pursue legal action against the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) after he was wrongly identified as a criminal by live facial recognition (LFR) cameras. Last year, Thompson, a volunteer with Street Fathers, was detained for nearly 30 minutes outside London Bridge station. Officers repeatedly demanded fingerprint scans and threatened arrest, despite his presenting multiple identification documents proving his innocence.

Thompson, who described being "grossly mistreated" and "angry that I had been stopped by a flawed technology," is bringing the case alongside digital rights campaigner Silkie Carlo, Director of Big Brother Watch. The organisation argues that live facial recognition "makes us a nation of suspects" and has urged the government to curb its use. Thompson said he is pursuing the legal challenge to prevent similar incidents, calling facial recognition "stop and search on steroids" that fails to enhance community safety. The High Court is scheduled to hear the case in January 2026.