Defence · Homeland security · 9 November 2026
Home Office introduces new laws for police facial recognition
The Home Office has announced new legislation governing police use of facial recognition technology. An independent watchdog will oversee compliance, and a specific law will require use to be intelligence-led and proportionate.
The Home Office has published new laws and safeguards to regulate how police forces deploy facial recognition technology. The measures aim to ensure the tools are used fairly and safely. An independent watchdog will be created to oversee this process and has the power to stop forces from using non-compliant systems.
Figures published with the announcement highlight operational outcomes from recent trials. A pilot in Croydon between October 2025 and March 2026 resulted in 173 arrests. In the same area, the Met reported a 10.5% drop in overall crime and a 21% decrease in offences linked to violence against women and girls. Shabana Mahmood, Home Secretary, said: "It is right we put in place clear laws to ensure that the use of this technology is watertight, so the public can have confidence that these tools, which are vital to our safety, are used responsibly too."
Under the new rules, law enforcement technologies must be tested for bias against age, gender, or race. Police use of facial recognition will be required to be intelligence-led and proportionate. The technology is to be used only when officers believe wanted people could be present in an area. This follows a public consultation that highlighted support for the technology but a need for stronger safeguards.
The announcement also references usage at public events. Police used the technology at Notting Hill Carnival to stop 86 registered sex offenders, leading to 7 arrests. Al Murray, Director of PoliceAI, noted that used responsibly, technologies like this can help officers identify wanted offenders more quickly and focus more time on protecting victims and communities. The department did not specify a timeline for when the independent watchdog will begin its oversight duties.
Written by StreetOwl from Home Office’s own announcement. It was drafted by StreetOwl’s own model, every figure and quotation was checked by code against the announcement, and it was read and approved by Michael Rossi before it went up. It says what was announced, not what anyone should do about it.
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