Big Brother Watch

A Big Brother Watch investigation revealed that the Government spent more than £650,000 of taxpayers’ money on digital ID adverts during a cost-of-living crisis. Meanwhile, public support dropped from 53% in 2024 to 31% in late 2025.

Live facial recognition was deployed at a protest setting for the first time on 16 May when it was used to police an anti-immigration protest in London. Privacy and civil liberties campaigners warn such large-scale screening of innocent people ...

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This weekend we headed to central London today observing two huge protests. Free speech and the right to protest are under threat in the UK – and ...

Responding to the use of live facial recognition to police upcoming protests on 16 May 2026, Jake Hurfurt, Head of Research & Investigations at Big Brother Watch, said:

“Deploying live facial recognition at protests in this country is a frightening escalation. A biometric identity check cannot become a prerequisite for free speech in this country.

“The use o...

Responding to plans concerning digital ID and facial recognition in the King’s speech, Silkie Carlo, Big Brother Watch Director said:

On digital ID:

“Access to public services we all pay for should never require a digital ID. This would inevitably be an intrusive, multi billion pound system no one wants, no one voted for, and that has no real pu...