Boston Ordinance Banning Face Surveillance Technology (Code 16-62)
Boston, MA · Boston, Mass., Code of Ordinances 16-62 (2020)
Boston bans all city departments, including police, from obtaining or using face surveillance systems. City officials also may not ask third parties or other agencies to run facial recognition searches on their behalf.
Technical detail
Boston Code of Ordinances 16-62 prohibits city officials from obtaining, retaining, accessing, or using any face surveillance system or information derived from one, with exceptions for device user authentication and evidence not generated at the city's request.
Who is protected: People in Boston subject to municipal surveillance
Who must comply: City of Boston departments and officials, including Boston Police Department
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Boston, MA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Moderate protection |
| Effective date | 2020-06-24 |
| Enacted | 2020-06-24 |
| Citation | Boston, Mass., Code of Ordinances 16-62 (2020) |
| Enforced by | City of Boston; judicial enforcement (violating evidence inadmissible) |
| Penalties | Evidence exclusion; injunctive relief |
| Topics | facial recognition · biometric data · police and surveillance AI · government use of AI |
| Last verified | 2026-06-10 |
| Official source | 16-62 Ordinance Banning Face Surveillance Technology — Boston Code of Ordinances ↗ |
More AI rules in Boston, MA
- Boston GenAI Guidelines · In effect
- Boston Public Schools · In effect
- Boston Interim GenAI Guidelines · In effect
- Ordinance on Surveillance Oversight and Information Sharing · In effect
- Ordinance banning face surveillance technology in Boston · In effect
Related facial recognition rules elsewhere
- Virginia § 15.2-1723.2 (facial recognition by local law enforcement, eff. July 1, 2026) · In effect
- Ban biometric recognition in public accommodations (Ban The Scan) · Proposed / pending
- Limit facial recognition in residential buildings (Ban The Scan) · Proposed / pending
- Texas v. Google · In effect
- Lorenzano-Nunez v. Roestenberg — FR wrongful arrest (2026) · Blocked / in litigation
- Montgomery County MD Police Directive FC 0627 · In effect
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