Madison, WI Ordinance Banning Face Surveillance by City Agencies
Madison, WI · Madison, Wis., Gen. Ordinances §§ 23.63–23.64
Madison bans city agencies, including police, from acquiring or using facial recognition technology, with narrow exceptions for identifying victims of human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, and missing children. Works alongside the city's surveillance technology ordinance requiring annual compliance reports.
Technical detail
Madison General Ordinances § 23.64 (adopted Dec. 1, 2020, 17–2) prohibits city agency acquisition and use of face surveillance with enumerated child-protection/trafficking-victim exceptions; companion § 23.63 governs surveillance technology use and reporting.
Who is protected: Madison residents and visitors
Who must comply: City of Madison agencies, including Madison Police Department
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Madison, WI |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Moderate protection |
| Enacted | 2020-12-01 |
| Citation | Madison, Wis., Gen. Ordinances §§ 23.63–23.64 |
| Enforced by | Madison Common Council (annual compliance reports) |
| Topics | facial recognition · biometric data · police and surveillance AI · government use of AI · consumer data privacy |
| Last verified | 2026-06-11 |
| Official source | City of Madison — Surveillance Technology Ordinance compliance ↗ |
More AI rules in Madison, WI
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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