Consultation seeks to ensure law enforcement use of facial recognition balances rights and safety
The UK government has launched a consultation to establish a clearer legal framework for the use of facial recognition technologies by law enforcement, responding to concerns about privacy and surveillance. Sarah Jones, the minister for policing and crime prevention, acknowledged that while facial recognition has proven to be a valuable tool for modern policing, its growing use raises important questions about the balance between public safety and individual rights.
Jones highlighted that the technology had been responsible for 962 arrests in the year up to September 2025, contributing to the detection of serious crimes such as rape, domestic abuse, knife crime, grievous bodily harm, and robbery. In addition, it led to 127 arrests following last year’s summer riots. Despite these successes, the minister emphasised that there are legitimate concerns regarding the potential for overreach and the processing of citizens’ biometric data by the state.
Currently, there is a legal framework in place for the use of facial recognition, but Jones believes that a more specific and detailed legal structure is necessary to ensure that the technology is used in a consistent, safe, and proportionate manner. The goal of the consultation is to establish a framework that allows law enforcement to fully utilise facial recognition technology while maintaining public trust and confidence.
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The consultation, which ends on 12 February 2026, invites input from professional bodies, interested groups, and the wider public. The government aims to strike a balance between the serious harm the police are trying to prevent or detect and the protection of individual rights. The legal framework must also include robust independent oversight to ensure the technology is used appropriately and to address the potential for future technological developments.
However, not all experts are on board with the widespread use of facial recognition. A recent academic study, published by the University of Birmingham and Guanghua Law School, warned that real-world trials of live facial recognition by police lack proper oversight and could lead to the erosion of basic freedoms. The study, published in the journal Data & Policy, described police testing of facial recognition systems as a “Wild West” situation that urgently needs reform. It stressed the importance of establishing clear safeguards before expanding the use of such systems.
Karen Yeung, a co-author of the study and an interdisciplinary professorial fellow in law, ethics, and informatics at Birmingham Law School, said that previous trials had failed to adequately consider the socio-technical impacts of facial recognition systems or provide clear evidence of their operational benefits.
The government’s consultation aims to address these concerns and ensure that the use of facial recognition in policing is both effective and respects fundamental privacy rights.