The Home Office has launched a public consultation on proposals for a new legal framework governing the use of biometrics and facial recognition technologies in policing. This initiative aims to ensure clear and robust rules for responsible use, gather views from stakeholders and the public, what safeguards are necessary to protect privacy and other rights, and to promote transparency and public confidence in policing practices. 

As part of this process, the Home Office has also published two independent testing reports from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). These reports assess the equitability and performance of each algorithm when being used in operation environments for Retrospective Facial Recognition (RFR) and Operator Initiated Facial Recognition (OIFR).  

You can access the Home Office consultation and supporting documents and submit feedback using the links provided below: 

• Home Office Consultation- Consultation on a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies (accessible) - GOV.UK 

• National Physical Laboratory testing landing pages x2 for the PND algorithm and new algorithm. Summary: accuracy and equitability evaluation of Cognitec FaceVACS-DBScan ID v5.5 - GOV.UK Summary: accuracy and equitability evaluation of Idemia facial recognition algorithm for Home Office strategic facial matching - GOV.UK 

• National survey on public attitudes towards police use of facial recognition - Public attitudes to police use of facial recognition technology - GOV.UK  

• Facial recognition factsheet - Police use of facial recognition: factsheet - GOV.UK 

• Simple, easy to follow facial recognition guide - Police use of facial recognition: a guide  

• Options assessment outlining the policy rationale for establishing a new legal framework to govern law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies. - Options assessment: Consultation on a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies - GOV.UK 

• Equality impact assessment - rfr-pnd---npcc-eia-v5.pdf