The government has launched a consultation to develop a new legal framework for the use of facial recognition, and similar technology, by law enforcement.
Its aim is to ensure that the law keeps pace with technological developments and provides clear, consistent rules that the public can understand, and that law enforcement can rely on.
The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 12 February 2026
Police currently use three different types of facial recognition technology: retrospective facial recognition, operator-initiated facial recognition and live facial recognition.
The consultation seeks views on a wide range of issues, including:
- What technologies should be covered by this new framework - such as biometric, inferential, and object recognition tools.
- Which organisations it should apply to.
- How these technologies should be used, and what safeguards are necessary to protect privacy and other rights.
- Ensuring their use is proportionate to the seriousness of the harm being addressed.
Find out more and respond to the consultation here.