Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether reporting requirements are in place for police forces to notify her Department of their utilisation of live facial recognition technology.

There are no mandatory reporting requirements for police forces to notify the Home Office when they deploy live facial recognition (LFR) technology. However, transparency is an important safeguard, and the College of Policing’s national guidance requires forces to give public notice of LFR deployments, making use of their website and social media.

In addition, forces must ensure that clear signage is displayed in areas where LFR is in operation, so the public is aware they are entering a facial recognition area. These measures help maintain public trust and compliance with legal obligations.