French Supervisory Authority publishes guidance on facial recognition

On November 15, 2019, the French Supervisory Authority (CNIL) published guidance on the use of facial recognition. The guidance is primarily directed at public authorities in France that want to experiment with facial recognition.

The guidance warns that this technology risks leading to biased results and sets out three general requirements for deploying facial recognition on an experimental basis.

First, facial recognition can only be used if there is an established need to implement an authentication mechanism that ensures a high level of reliability, and there are no other less intrusive means that would be appropriate. Second, the experimental use of facial recognition must respect the rights of individuals. Third, the use of facial recognition on an experimental basis must have a precise timeline and be based on a rigorous methodology setting out the objectives pursued and the criteria for success.

Source: French Supervisory Authority publishes guidance on facial recognition