Try the political quiz
@ISIDEWITHQuestionsNational security2yrs ago

Should the government use facial recognition technology for mass surveillance to enhance public safety?

Facial recognition technology uses software to identify individuals based on their facial features, and can be used to monitor public spaces and enhance security measures. Proponents argue that it enhances public safety by identifying and preventing potential threats, and helps in locating missing persons and criminals. Opponents argue that it infringes on privacy rights, can lead to misuse and discrimination, and raises significant ethical and civil liberties concerns.

+
Expand
+ Settings

Toggle voterbase

Statistics are shown for this demographic

Answer Overview

Response rates from 398k UK voters.

52%
Yes
48%
No
49%
Yes
46%
No
2%
Yes, but only if it’s tightly regulated and used with transparency
1%
No, it sets a dangerous precedent for government control over citizens
1%
Yes, but only targeting criminal hotspots to protect vulnerable communities
1%
No, I trust the technology but not the humans that could misuse it
0%
No, this would be too expensive to implement

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 398k UK voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 398k UK voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from UK voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @9N33J2Hanswered…2yrs2Y

Yes, In certain high-risk situations or extremely high populated events but not in normal everyday life/activities

 @9N429PWanswered…2yrs2Y

Yes - Provided it is only used for individuals who are wanted by law enforcement and data for any other individuals is not kept.

 @9MRMXSSanswered…2yrs2Y

As long as it's only for that and not being used an an invasion of privacy. For example, use it to locate missing persons or wanted criminals.

 @B9DBRCManswered…6mos6MO

If right wingers control it then yes; if left wingers control it then no. The current UK government would use the power to target people protesting against rape and murder of fellow citizens.

 @9Q2FM4Vanswered…2yrs2Y

Yes, if additional laws are set in place and enforced so it cannot be misused/ used for any other purposes than evidence of criminal behaviour, searching for wanted criminals, searching for missing persons. Etc.

 @BDZW4THanswered…2wks2W

No, facial recognition has proven racial bias that can unfairly misidentify innocent people of colour

 @BDYXLYVanswered…2wks2W

No, only private companies can

 @BDNVGSVanswered…1mo1MO

Life facial recognition in use by police now is highly effective and less intrusive than owning a passport.

Latest News

Stay up-to-date on the most recent “Facial Recognition” news articles, updated frequently.

Popular Conversations

Join in on the most popular conversations.

Active 2mos ago

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...…6yrs6Y

Should critical race theory be taught in K-12 education?

No

▲  19.8k6 replies4 agree1 disagree

About This Data

Based on 398k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

iSideWith is non-partisan — we don't advocate for any party, candidate, or position. We report what the public tells us.

Read Our Full Methodology →

Cite Or Embed This Poll

Writing about this issue? Use the live data and link back to the full results.

Cite This Poll

iSideWith. (2026). “Should the government use facial recognition technology for mass surveillance to enhance public safety?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://uk.isidewith.com/polls/5139232596

Embed The Live Result

Preview