Facial recognition is racist, sexist & creepy

The future must be ours to shape.

Facial recognition can and will be used against each of us by governments and corporations - based on who we are and what we look like.

Reclaim our public space. Ban biometric mass surveillance!

Join the movement

What is Biometric mass surveillance?

Biometric data are bits of data that are unique to our bodies and behaviours, which divulge sensitive information about who we are. For example, our faces can be used for facial recognition to make a prediction or assessment about us – and so can our eyes, veins, voices, the way we walk or type on a keyboard, and much more.

Governments, police forces and corporations use recording devices (like CCTV cameras) and facial recognition software to gather our biometric data. This means they can track us from one place to another using our unique characteristics to permanently identify each of us. This blanket capture of every person’s biometric data in public spaces like streets, parks, train stations, shops or sports venues simply for trying to live our lives is biometric mass surveillance. It treats us all as walking barcodes.

Should an employer use your facial expressions to decide if you’re fit for a job?

We want to be treated by our employer based on our work, not our face or body.

Should the police put you on a list of suspicious people based on the way you walk?

We want the police to treat us with decency and respect, not as criminal suspects.

Should a shop only show you products based on their assumption of your gender or ethnicity?

We want to have have choice over what we buy, not be manipulated or discriminated against by big businesses.

Should a hospital refuse to let you visit a relative because you went to a protest when you were younger?

We want to be able to speak freely and document injustice, not to self-censor because we are constantly watched.

Should a university deny you a place on your favourite course because of the people you meet up with?

We want to choose our education freely, regardless of where we come from or who our friends are.

Should your car insurance increase your premium because of the way you dress?

We want to have control over our data, not to be exploited by corporations abusing our identities to make money.

The future must be ours to shape. Our lives must be ours to decide.

Privacy is power

Surveillance is money

Reclaiming our futures

In today’s world of always being “on”, the power to decide when we do and when we don’t share our sensitive information is vital. Our privacy is a condition for enjoying our freedoms in public spaces and public life: it’s what gives us the ability to join together, raise our voices and live as we choose.

Police forces trying to cut corners. Politicians manipulating our votes to push authoritarian agendas. Corporations making huge sums of money from watching us (often known as “surveillance capitalism”). They are working together to follow us as we move about in our towns and cities.

We've seen it already

Choices and opportunities about our futures will be taken away from us simply for being who we are. We must fight back against the powerful governments and corporations and make sure that technology truly works for all of us; not for the greed, and control of the powerful few.

Once you are watched and categorised like this, your future can be decided for you

A ban on biometric mass surveillance is the only solution for a future where our choices are made by us, not by algorithms.

See the evidence for yourself

Who’s saying what about biometric mass surveillance?

"We will wake up one day and find that the terror of mass surveillance is far more severe than any terror we have ever seen."

- RYF supporter
"I want to be able to walk the streets [...] without fear of surveillance that would make Stalin jealous"

- RYF supporter
"Revolutions that we have seen across the world in modern times from Tiananmen Square to the Arab Spring would not have been possible with biometric mass surveillance of the public space"

- MEP Karen Melchior, Renew
"Millions are given to private facial recognition companies to develop their tech with public money without any democratic debate or consideration for basic humans rights"

- RYF supporter
“As a software developer [...] I see the industry will not regulate itself."

- RYF supporter
“I feel responsible as a citizen to act."

- RYF supporter