Cybersecurity Policy Report, U.K. Privacy Agency Comments on Facial Recognition Technology Report, (Dec 8, 2025)

By Tony Foley

In a statement released Friday, the United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) asked the U.K. Home Office to clarify the results of a recently published report from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) on potential historical bias in the facial recognition algorithm used by police forces for retrospective facial recognition within the Police National Database (PND).

Retrospective facial recognition is used after an event or incident as part of a criminal investigation in which specially trained operators visually assess images returned from the PND and, when confirming a facial match, pass the image on to an investigating officer who reviews it for accuracy. The Home Office commissioned independent testing of the system by NPL to help police better understand and mitigate bias and to inform future investment decisions. The report, available for download from this webpage, found that facial recognition technology was more likely to incorrectly include certain demographic groups, including Asian and Black people, in its search results.

In the statement, ICO Deputy Commissioner Emily Keaney expressed concern that ICO had not been told about the Home Office’s decision to conduct its investigation. “We acknowledge that measures are being taken to address this bias. However, it's disappointing that we had not previously been told about this, despite regular engagement with the Home Office and police bodies as part of our wider work to hold government and the public sector to account on how data is being used in their services,” she said. “While we appreciate the valuable role technology can play, public confidence in its use is paramount, and any perception of bias and discrimination can exacerbate mistrust. The ICO is here to support and assist the public sector to get this right. We have asked the Home Office for urgent clarity on this matter so we can assess the situation and consider our next steps.”

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