Bill Introduces Mandatory Use of Facial Recognition Systems by Public Security Forces

On February 23, 2026, Bill No. 649/2026 was introduced in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, establishing the mandatory use of body-worn and vehicle-mounted cameras equipped with artificial intelligence systems by public security forces. The proposal requires Military and Civil Police forces at the state and Federal District levels to deploy systems capable of automated facial recognition for individuals subject to valid arrest warrants and automatic license plate recognition for vehicles under judicial restriction, with integration limited exclusively to official databases, such as the National Arrest Warrant Database and official vehicle registries.

The bill sets out minimum technical requirements, including real-time processing, end-to-end encryption, metadata logging, secure storage and safeguards against unjustified deactivation. It also mandates human validation prior to any police action triggered by automated alerts, prohibits indiscriminate mass surveillance and requires full compliance with the Brazilian General Data Protection Law. Additionally, the proposal introduces algorithmic governance obligations, such as annual independent audits, public transparency reports, periodic accuracy testing with bias mitigation measures and a maximum data retention period of 90 days, subject to specific legal exceptions. Learn more.