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What is BS 9347:2024 - Facial recognition technology (FRT) about?

Facial recognition technology (FRT) is designed to improve the safety, security and wellbeing of people, as well as providing a tool to improve operational processes, but there’s a need to avoid negative impacts on privacy, dignity and human rights. BS 9347:2024 gives guidelines on the ethical use of FRT. 

Who is BS 9347:2024 - Facial recognition technology (FRT) for?

Any public or private organization deploying and/or monitoring FRT, for example: 

• retailers
• entertainment and sporting venues
• hotels, pubs, clubs, transport hubs
• private security companies engaged in crime reduction, access control, public
• safety, time and attendance, and monitoring authorized zones
• specifiers
• installers

NOTE: BS 9347:2024 excludes the use of FRT in covert surveillance scenarios, such as those regulated by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) and by domestic end users.

What does BS 9347:2024 - Facial recognition technology (FRT) cover?

It provides technical and operational recommendations for the ethical use and deployment of facial recognition technology (FRT) for overt live or retrospective video surveillance purposes.

BS 9347:2024 applies to FRT users and system owners, as well as suppliers and procurers, considering how data is captured, viewed, stored and used securely.

Its recommendations cover trustworthiness and the following overarching principles:

-      governance and accountability

-      human agency and oversight

-      privacy and data governance

-      technical robustness and safety

-      transparency and explainability

-      diversity, non-discrimination and fairness.

Why should you use BS 9347:2024 - Facial recognition technology (FRT)?

•       Compliance. BS 9347:2024 helps you fulfil your ethical and legal obligations in relation to privacy and data protection regulation, avoiding potential fines and reputational damage.
•       The avoidance of harm. Avoiding harm is a crucial element in the use of facial recognition technology (FRT). BS 9347:2024 can ensure that the ethics of an FRT application are set up and regularly reviewed to avoid negative impacts on privacy, dignity and human rights.
•       The avoidance of bias and discrimination. In particular, it’s important that FRT is trained in such a way that it’s unlikely to exhibit bias by way of false positives. BS 9347:2024 helps you avoid this.
•       Risk mitigation. Using BS 9347:2024 can help mitigate the risk of legal challenges, minimize the risk of system misuse or abuse, and reduce the risk of data breaches.
•     Future proofing. It’s likely that BS 9347:2024 will be a mandated part of the public procurement of FRT systems in future.
•  Trust and transparency. BS 9347:2024 promotes transparency and accountability and can contribute to building an organization’s reputation for integrity, trustworthiness and high ethical standards. This in turn supports staff recruitment and retention, customer attraction and loyalty, and building brand equity.

Support resources

Check out 10 things you need to know about BS 9347:2024. Listen to our Standards in 10 Minutes episode and expand you knowledge.