Key points
- The Home Office set out plans on 4 November 2026 for a new law and an independent watchdog covering police facial recognition.
- In extreme cases of non-compliance, the watchdog could seek a court injunction to stop a force using the technology.
- Police use would have to be intelligence-led and proportionate, and all tools independently tested for bias.
- A separate legal code would cover businesses, including shops. The page gives no timetable for the law or codes.
The UK Home Office has announced plans to put police facial recognition on a clearer legal footing. The government said it will create an independent body to oversee how forces use the technology. The announcement was published on 4 November 2026.
The changes follow a public consultation. The Home Office said responses showed strong support for the technology and its effectiveness, but also a need for stronger safeguards.
Police facial recognition: what the Home Office plans
The new watchdog would advise on standards, scrutinise forces and recommend changes to ministers. In extreme cases of non-compliance, it could seek a court injunction stopping a force from using the technology.
A specific law would require police use to be intelligence-led and proportionate. Under the plan, the technology could be used only when officers believe wanted people could be present in an area.
Any technology used by law enforcement would have to be independently tested for bias or discrimination based on age, gender or race. It said a new retrospective algorithm has been tested and can be rolled out to forces from next year.
Figures cited by the government
The Home Office pointed to a static live facial recognition pilot in Croydon, run from October 2025 to March 2026. It said the pilot led to 173 arrests. The Metropolitan Police reported a 10.5% drop in overall crime and a 21% fall in violence against women and girls offences compared with the previous year.
At Notting Hill Carnival in 2026, police stopped 86 registered sex offenders using the technology, leading to 7 arrests. The government is also putting £11 million into tripling the number of live facial recognition vans available to forces in England and Wales.
A separate code for shops and businesses
A separate legal code would cover businesses, including shops, that use facial recognition to tackle crime. Our guides explain how face recognition is used and how it works with CCTV.
Open questions
The announcement gives no timetable for the legislation or the codes, and it does not say what rank of officer could authorise deployments. Will the watchdog have the resources to scrutinise every force? How will the public see the results of bias testing?
