Devon and Cornwall Police say they will use live facial recognition technology for the first time at the Boardmasters Festival in Newquay this weekend. Reporting across outlets focuses on the force’s defence of the approach, which it says will be used on thousands of attendees. Police describe the technology as a method intended to help with public safety and law enforcement during a large event, while acknowledging the controversy surrounding facial recognition systems. Coverage highlights that the rollout is planned for Boardmasters, one of the UK’s major music and coastal festivals, and that the deployment will involve screening a significant number of people attending the event. The Independent and Yahoo UK News both frame the issue as a test case for how the system will operate in practice, including questions about transparency, oversight, and consent that have been raised in broader debates about facial recognition use by police. Both outlets report that the force is proceeding with the planned deployment despite criticism, presenting its rationale for the trial-like use of the technology during the festival period.