The World Economic Forum’s governance framework for the responsible use of facial recognition in law enforcement investigations addresses the need for a set of concrete guidelines to ensure the trustworthy and safe use of this technology. Following the release of the first draft in October 2021, six law enforcement agencies undertook an exercise to pilot the policy framework in order to review and validate its utility and completeness.

Drawing from the feedback and learnings of the pilots, the World Economic Forum has published this revised version of the policy framework that is actionable, relevant and useable in an operational law enforcement context. It includes a set of principles that defines in practical terms what constitutes the responsible use of facial recognition in law enforcement investigations and a self-assessment questionnaire used to support law enforcement agencies in effectively implementing these proposed principles.