Petition · Home Office

Ban Live Facial Recognition (LFR) in all public and private spaces

Closed 677 signatures

What the petition asks

We call on the Government to ban the use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) surveillance in all public and private spaces. This includes by private companies and in retail spaces unless strictly for national security or immediate prevention of terrorism, with strict oversight and judicial approval.
We think LFR is a disproportionate response to everyday crime and is expanding with little oversight, risking mass surveillance and loss of privacy. It was recently reported permanent LFRs were being installed in Croydon. As Snowden said, "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." We believe we must avoid risking civil liberty as the price of public safety.

Timeline

27 May 2025 Petition opened for signatures
27 Nov 2025 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 677
Status Closed
Department Home Office
Opened 27 May 2025
Closed 27 Nov 2025

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 3 Aug 2026.