UK public support facial recognition where benefits are clear, safeguards in place
Published: 10/06/2026
| Talking Retail
A new survey of 2,000 UK adults by privacy-focused facial verification provider Face Int UK reveals public attitudes towards facial recognition technology (FRT). The survey finds that FRT support is highest for premium security environments where benefits are clear, such as border control at 81%. Strong backing also exists for use by police and security forces (73%), banking identity checks (71%), physical site security (70%), and consumer device unlocking (67%).
Approval, however, drops in areas with less apparent advantages, falling to 54% for retail security and 47% in schools. More than half of respondents believe FRT should only be used where stringent safeguards are in place and there is a clear public benefit.
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