Madison, WI — Ordinance ORD-20-00056 prohibiting city-agency use of facial recognition technology
Madison, WI · Ordinance ORD-20-00056 prohibiting city-agency use of facial recognition technology
Madison's Common Council voted 17-2 to bar city agencies from acquiring or using facial recognition technology or facial-surveillance-derived information, with narrow exceptions for human-trafficking and missing/exploited-children cases.
Technical detail
Madison's Common Council voted 17-2 to bar city agencies from acquiring or using facial recognition technology or facial-surveillance-derived information, with narrow exceptions for human-trafficking and missing/exploited-children cases.
Who is protected: People subject to this body's AI/surveillance systems.
Who must comply: Madison, WI
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Madison, WI |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2020-12-01 |
| Citation | Ordinance ORD-20-00056 prohibiting city-agency use of facial recognition technology |
| Topics | police and surveillance AI · facial recognition · biometric data · government use of AI |
| Last verified | 2026-07-01 |
| Official source | Ordinance No. ORD-20-00056 (Madison, WI Municode) ↗ |
More AI rules in Madison, WI
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Madison Face Surveillance Ban · In effect
- Use of Surveillance Technology Ordinance (Ordinance 59300; M · In effect
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- Huntington WV Flock contract approved 6-4 (Jul. 14, 2026) · In effect
- ACLU-WV v. Huntington (Flock contract mandamus) · Blocked / in litigation
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