London Police Partner With Facebook to Prevent Live Streaming of Terrorist and Firearm Attacks

London Police Partner With Facebook to Prevent Live Streaming of Terrorist and Firearm Attacks

The issue gained renewed attention after a mass shooter used Facebook to live stream his murder of over 50 people at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand.

  • By Haley Samsel
  • Sep 20, 2019

London police have partnered up with Facebook in a new project to help prevent live streaming of terrorist and firearms attacks across the globe.

Starting in October, the London Metropolitan Police Service will provide the social media giant with footage of training exercises by its Firearms Command from the perspective of the officers. The video will help Facebook develop tech that can identify if someone is live streaming footage of a firearms attack, according to a press release from the department, which is commonly referred to as the Met.

The Met’s Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) has had a long relationship with Facebook thanks to its mission of working with companies to remove harmful terrorist material from the web. That partnership led Facebook to reach out to the Met when seeking assistance to carry out the project.

“Technology that automatically stops live streaming of attacks once identified would also significantly help prevent the glorification of such acts and the promotion of the toxic ideologies that drive them,” said Neil Basu, the U.K.’s top-ranking counter terrorism police oficer. “We welcome such efforts to prevent terrorism and its glorification and are happy to help develop this technology.”

If Facebook is successful in developing software to detect attacks, the platform could notify police of an attack early on and prevent live streaming from continuing on its site. The issue became more urgent last March after a mass shooter used Facebook to live stream his massacre of 51 people at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The Met plans to capture footage for the project on body cameras attached to officers as they carry out regular training so that Facebook has the volume of footage it needs to develop the AI tech. Law enforcement agencies in the U.S. are also providing video to Facebook, the release said.

In addition, the training videos will be shared with the U.K.’s Home Office, which oversees immigration, security and law enforcement. From there, other tech companies will be able to request the footage so they can develop similar software to detect videos taken from the “shooter perspective,” according to the release.

“This partnership with the Met Police will help train our AI systems with the volume of data needed to identify these incidents,” said Stephanie McCourt, Facebook’s law enforcement outreach lead in the U.K. “We will remain committed to improving our detection abilities and keeping harmful content off Facebook.”

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.