Boston Face Surveillance Ban
Boston Ordinance Banning Face Surveillance Technology (Code 16-62)
Boston, MA · Boston, Mass., Code of Ordinances 16-62 (2020)
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- June 24, 2020
- Applies to
- City of Boston departments and officials, including Boston Police Department
- Enforced by
- City of Boston; judicial enforcement (violating evidence inadmissible)
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.
Who is protected: People in Boston subject to municipal surveillance
Legal 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.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Boston, MA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | June 24, 2020 |
| Citation | Boston, Mass., Code of Ordinances 16-62 (2020) |
| Penalties | Evidence exclusion; injunctive relief |
| Topics | facial recognition · biometric data · police and surveillance AI · government use of AI |
| Statute | 16-62 Ordinance Banning Face Surveillance Technology — Boston Code of Ordinances |
More AI rules in Boston, MA
- Boston surveillance ordinance amendment proposal (2026) · Proposed / pending
- 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
- Bristol VA PD facial recognition program (first VA local agency) · In effect
- Dallas PD Clearview AI facial recognition policy · 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
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