Privacy advocates and industry groups are pressuring Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to publish long-promised legislation governing police and border-security use of facial-recognition technology, according to Biometric Update (7 July). A ten-week Home Office consultation closed in February, but draft clauses have yet to appear, leaving forces to rely on piecemeal guidance issued in 2024. Campaigners argue that the technology is expanding rapidly: supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s have tripled deployment of Facewatch cameras in self-checkout areas, while Border Force is rolling out facial biometrics across eGates and new mobile immigration-enforcement units. Without statutory safeguards, they say, the UK risks legal challenges similar to those that forced South Wales Police to pause trials in 2020. The business community is equally keen for clear rules. Airport operators investing in next-generation biometric corridors want assurance that data-sharing with police complies with the UK GDPR, and technology vendors are lobbying for a single certification standard to speed procurement. Insiders blame political bandwidth: parliamentary time is dominated by the Immigration and Asylum Bill, pushing the Facial Recognition Bill towards the autumn. The Home Office says it is analysing 21,000 consultation responses and will publish draft legislation “later this year”. For global-mobility managers, uncertain rules mean continued due-diligence when sending staff through biometric corridors. Employers should update privacy notices and monitor vendor compliance statements until statutory clarity emerges.
Source: Biometric Update
