London Police to Extend Use of Live Facial Recognition and Drones

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, June 25, 2026

The Metropolitan Police plan to expand the use of drones, AI, and live facial recognition technology across London, aiming to cover all boroughs with drone monitoring and extend biometric surveillance in central areas within a year. This expansion highlights the force's push for faster adoption of advanced tools to enhance crime-fighting capabilities amid ongoing debates over privacy and ethical concerns.

The Metropolitan Police in London announced plans to expand the use of drones, artificial intelligence (AI), and live facial recognition technology across the city. The force aims to extend static facial recognition coverage throughout central London and establish drone monitoring in every borough within the next year.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley emphasized the importance of adopting advanced technology to keep pace with criminal activity. In a recent speech, Rowley argued for the police to be able to deploy technological tools more rapidly, without being hindered by legislative or bureaucratic obstacles.

Rowley also criticized London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s decision to halt a substantial contract with Palantir, an AI technology firm, citing concerns over value for money. The contract would have enabled the Met to expand its use of Palantir’s software, which assists in consolidating and analysing large datasets for improved crime-fighting efforts. Rowley stated that a prior Palantir pilot program had been beneficial and called for broader adoption of similar technologies.

Live facial recognition, which the Met has used since 2024, remains a focal point of the police’s technological strategy. The system captures images of individuals in public spaces and compares their biometric data against a watchlist of persons of interest. Rowley described the technology as a clear example of the potential benefits of innovation, noting it has been linked to over 2,000 arrests to date. The UK is currently the only European country to implement live facial recognition at this scale.

The police use of facial recognition technology has drawn criticism from civil rights groups concerned about privacy and the ethical implications of mass biometric surveillance. While the Metropolitan Police maintain that the technology enhances public safety and operational effectiveness, these concerns continue to prompt debate among policymakers and the public.

The Met’s announcement signals a broader commitment to integrating cutting-edge tools into law enforcement, balancing advances in crime detection with the scrutiny of privacy advocates and public accountability measures.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.