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Good morning. Over the last couple of days, the Guardian has been reporting that facial recognition technology is being rolled out across the UK at a pace that appears to be outstripping the rules designed to govern it. Police forces are increasingly using live systems to scan members of the public in real time, while retailers are deploying similar tools to identify suspected shoplifters.<\/p>\n
Advocates of the technology argue that facial recognition is effective and here to stay. Critics warn it risks creating a system where people are monitored \u2013 and sometimes wrongly flagged \u2013 without clear safeguards.<\/p>\n
For today\u2019s newsletter, I spoke to the Guardian\u2019s UK technology editor, Robert Booth<\/strong><\/em>, about how the technology works, how widely it is now being used and what happens when it goes wrong. First, this morning\u2019s headlines.<\/p>\n Middle East crisis<\/strong><\/em> | Donald Trump has threatened that Iran will be \u201cblown off the face of the earth\u201d if it attacks US vessels trying to reopen a route through the strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Delivery industry<\/strong><\/em> | More than 7,000 Just Eat couriers are taking legal action against the food delivery company in an attempt to gain better employment rights, including the minimum wage and holiday pay.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Europe<\/strong><\/em> | At the European Political Community summit in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, Keir Starmer has called on Europe to \u201cface up\u201d to tensions with the Trump administration, as heads of government gathered to discuss the EU\u2019s loan scheme for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n UK news<\/strong><\/em> | Keir Starmer will call for a whole-of-society response to rising antisemitism on Tuesday, saying that it is not enough simply to condemn the scourge, but people \u201cmust show it\u201d through their actions too.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Cost of living<\/strong><\/em> | Food prices are set to be 50% higher by November compared to 2021, according to research by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n <\/span>Guardian reporter Robert Booth gets added to the watchlist and is spotted by its cameras.<\/span> Photograph: Alicia Canter\/The Guardian<\/p>\n One afternoon recently in Croydon, Robert Booth watched as police officers trialled a deployment of live facial recognition cameras. Mounted high above the street, the cameras were switched on for a few hours at a time. Nearby, uniformed and plainclothes officers lingered, waiting. When someone on a watchlist passed through the camera\u2019s field of view, an alert was sent to officers\u2019 phones. What happened next was striking.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was like a trap snapping shut,\u201d Robert tells me. Within seconds, officers converged on the individual \u2013 \u201ca kind of net closing\u201d \u2013 often before the person had any idea they had been identified. In one case, he saw a man taken to the ground by several officers in a matter of moments.<\/p>\n \u201cIt all just happens in a flash,\u201d he says. \u201cThat kind of thing happening in the public sphere, enabled entirely by technology, feels quite new.\u201d<\/p>\n How does it work \u2013 and why now?<\/strong><\/p>\n Live facial recognition systems, as Robert wrote in this explainer, scan faces captured on camera and compare them against watchlists compiled by police or private operators. If the system identifies a potential match, it alerts officers, who can then decide whether to intervene.<\/p>\n Part of the appeal is clear: it can be effective. Police say it has led to arrests, and businesses claim it acts as a deterrent to shoplifting.<\/p>\n But the rapid uptake of facial recognition reflects a broader pattern seen with other technologies, from social media to age verification, where adoption has outpaced the development of clear regulatory frameworks to govern it. And use is rocketing: so far this year the Metropolitan police in London has scanned more than 1.7 million faces, up 87% on the same period in 2025.<\/p>\n The \u2018edge cases\u2019 where concern arises<\/strong><\/p>\n On Monday, social affairs correspondent Jessica Murray reported on the case of Ian Clayton, a retired health and safety professional from Chester. He is one of a number of people who have spoken to the Guardian after being falsely identified as a thief by shops using Facewatch, a live facial recognition system. He described the experience of being thrown out of a store after his face was flagged as \u201cvery Orwellian\u201d, adding \u201cit was like I was guilty until proven innocent.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese are straightforwardly difficult and wrong situations. The question is how widespread those cases are,\u201d Robert says. \u201cThe technology itself may improve, and the systems around how it\u2019s used may improve, too,\u201d he adds. Even so, a small error rate can easily become significant if the technology is deployed more widely.<\/p>\n Beyond individual errors, there is a broader concern about the cumulative effect of the technology \u2013 that simply moving through public space increasingly involves being unknowingly <\/strong>monitored and checked against databases.<\/p>\n What do the public think?<\/strong><\/p>\n Robert spoke to people in Croydon when he was observing the police using the system. \u201cSome take the view that if you\u2019ve got nothing to hide, there\u2019s nothing to worry about,\u201d he tells me. \u201cThey also point out that our faces are already used in lots of different ways online and for unlocking our phones.\u201d<\/p>\n Others are more concerned. \u201cThey worry about the risk of mistaken identity, and the fact they may not even have noticed the cameras. There\u2019s a sense that it\u2019s happening in a creeping way.\u201d<\/p>\n There are also people who are very much opposed to its use. Robert says they consider hundred and thousands of faces being scanned in public as \u201ca clear infringement of their liberties\u201d. <\/strong>The campaign group Liberty have warned that, as the situation stands, police could use the tool as a means of intimidation at protests, retroactively on any image or footage they hold, and have used it to track children as young as 12. Data has also shown that systems are more likely to incorrectly include black and Asian people than their white counterparts in search results.<\/p>\n What happens now?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe key question is whether regulators can make sure the downsides of the technology don\u2019t happen \u2013 so that people can feel they\u2019re getting the benefits without the harms,\u201d Robert says.<\/p>\n One thing is clear \u2013 oversight is fragmented. Several bodies are involved, including the Information Commissioner\u2019s Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Watchdogs have warned that this patchwork approach is struggling to keep pace with the technology\u2019s rapid development. The Home Office has said it is considering a new legal framework for the technology.<\/p>\n For now, the direction of travel is clear. \u201cThe technology is clearly going to keep advancing,\u201d Robert says. \u201cThe question is whether the rules around it can keep up.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/span>\u2018More about violence\u2019 \u2026 the artwork Relatum by Lee Ufan.<\/span> Photograph: Philip Fong\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The Guardian\u2019s Arts editor, Alex Needham, ventured to Japan\u2019s \u201cart island\u201d, Naoshima, guided by the avant garde creative, Lee Ufan<\/strong>. The Korean-born artist, whose retrospective opens in Venice next weekend, discusses finding inspiration in Duchamp \u2013 and why he once chased three enormous sheets of paper in Tokyo. Yassin El-Moudden, newsletters team<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Nobody likes a break-up or delivering bad news. Isabel Bekele looks at the people using AI chatbots to rehearse awkward conversations<\/strong> in advance. Martin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Combining a pedal steel guitar with the Turkish saz<\/em>, the third solo album by former Vampire Weekend member Rostam Batmanglij<\/strong> blends Americana with sounds from south-west Asia. It\u2019s Batmanglij\u2019s \u201cbest to date\u201d, according to Shaad D\u2019Souza, who spoke with the Iranian-American musician in this great interview. Yassin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n My colleague Sammy Gecsoyler was sent to Birmingham to investigate the death of UK clubbing<\/strong>, asking: \u201cWhatever happened to Saturday night?\u201d Martin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n This fascinating exclusive on Kenya\u2019s AI-powered healthcare system<\/strong> follows months of investigations into how the technology is being used to means-test the amount of contributions patients are expected to make \u2013 with disastrous consequences for the poorest. Yassin<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/span>Taiwo Awoniyi of Nottingham Forest with Morgan Gibbs-White of Nottingham Forest celebrate after scoring a goal to put Nottingham Forest 3-0 ahead during the Premier League match with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge Stadium, London, England, on 4 May. <\/span> Photograph: Daniel Weir\/Sports Press Photo\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Football<\/strong><\/em> | Four players were taken off with head injuries as Nottingham Forest eased to a 3-1 win against Calum McFarlane\u2019s Chelsea. A wild 3-3 draw at Everton for Manchester City may have handed Arsenal the edge in the title race.<\/p>\n Snooker<\/strong><\/em> | Wu Yize has won the World Snooker Championship final, beating Shaun Murphy 18-17, with a break of 85 in the deciding frame.<\/p>\n Cycling<\/strong><\/em> | The 19-year-old French prodigy, Paul Seixas, is set to become the youngest Tour de France cyclist in 89 years, raising hopes that he may become the country\u2019s first homegrown winner since 1985.<\/p>\n <\/span>Guardian front page, 5 May, 2026.<\/span> Photograph: Guardian<\/p>\n \u201cTrump\u2019s bid to reopen Hormuz pushes region back to the brink\u201d is the Guardian\u2019s<\/strong> splash on Tuesday, while the FT<\/strong> says \u201cIran warns US not to enter Hormuz strait and launches drones at UAE\u201d.<\/p>\n Ahead of the local elections, the i Paper<\/strong> leads with \u201cLeadership rivals circle Starmer as local election \u2018bloodbath\u2019 looms for Labour.\u201d The Times<\/strong> runs with \u201cLabour MPs plot Starmer putsch after poll losses,\u201d while the Mirror<\/strong> writes \u201cStop him\u201d underneath a picture of Nigel Farage. Kemi Badenoch tells the Daily Mail<\/strong> \u201cBritain needs zero tolerance on crimes that make our lives a misery\u201d and the Sun<\/strong> leads with: \u201cJust one more small boat and arrivals hit \u2026 200,000\u201d.<\/p>\n The Metro<\/strong> focuses on tensions with Brussels under the headline \u201cStarmer walks EU tightrope\u201d. The Telegraph\u2019s<\/strong> top story is \u201cMet seeks UK trial for Madeleine suspect,\u201d and finally the Express<\/strong> with \u201cFan ban police tsar campaigns with man behind vile abuse\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/span>Singer Cameron Winter of Geese performs on day 2 of Coachella on 18 April 2026 in Indio, California. <\/span> Photograph: Scott Dudelson\/Getty Images for Coachella<\/p>\n Fake fans, fake buzz? How your favourite band got big<\/strong><\/p>\n Shaad D\u2019Souza explains<\/strong> how bands such as Geese have faced a backlash since a marketing company revealed its tricks for pushing them into the limelight, and Eamonn Forde discusses what it takes to succeed in the music industry today.<\/p>\n <\/span>Ben Jennings cartoon<\/span> Illustration: Ben Jennings\/The Guardian<\/p>\n A bit of good news to remind you that the world\u2019s not all bad<\/em><\/p>\n <\/span>A VR headset pilot programme across Sutton schools has reported improved attendance and reduced exam anxiety.<\/span> Photograph: Phase Space<\/p>\n High schools in one London borough are trying a new way to help students deal with anxiety caused by exams, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and challenging home lives: virtual reality. Schools in the borough of Sutton are teaming up with a local NHS mental health trust to trial the use of VR headsets by the tech company Phase Space.<\/p>\n In the first 10 schools that tried out the devices, 90% of students saw an immediate drop in their stress levels, while attendance has improved and anxiety around exams has decreased. Sixteen-year-old pupil Lora Wilson described using the tool: \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to explain but it\u2019s a really cool experience. It almost feels like I\u2019m somewhere else and I can just relax.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday<\/strong><\/p>\n And finally, the Guardian\u2019s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Good morning. Over the last couple of days, the Guardian has been reporting that facial recognition technology is being rolled out across the UK at a pace that appears to be outstripping the rules designed to govern it. Police forces are increasingly using live systems to scan members of the public in real time, while<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[1043,3574,8912,6343,6538,6321,3038],"class_list":{"0":"post-49105","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-crime-justice","8":"tag-briefing","9":"tag-facial","10":"tag-policing","11":"tag-recognition","12":"tag-tuesday","13":"tag-works","14":"tag-wrong"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=49105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49105\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/49106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=49105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=49105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=49105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Five big stories<\/h2>\n
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In depth: \u2018There\u2019s a sense that it\u2019s happening in a creeping way\u2019<\/h2>\n
What else we\u2019ve been reading<\/h2>\n
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Sport<\/h2>\n
The front pages<\/h2>\n
Today in Focus<\/h2>\n
Cartoon of the day | Ben Jennings<\/h2>\n
The Upside<\/h2>\n
Bored at work?<\/h2>\n