Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has had discussions with civil liberties organisations on the use of facial recognition technology in commercial settings.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology engages with a range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations, regarding privacy and data protection matters. The government recognises the benefits of deploying FRT systems in commercial settings, where these are used proportionately, responsibly, and in compliance with the UK’s data protection framework, as well as other relevant legal frameworks. The Information Commissioner’s Office has also issued guidance to support organisations in complying with data protection law, and this can be found here.