The EU (Europian Union) is considering restricting the use of facial recognition technology for a possible duration of 5 years, in public area sectors. The reason being is the regulators need some time to consider the protection of unethical exploitation of the technique. The facial recognition is a technique that lets to identify faces that are captured on camera footage to be crosschecked against real-time watchlists, mostly collected by the police. However, the restrictions for the use are not absolute as the technique can still be used for research and development, and safety purposes. The committee formulating the restriction drafted an 18-page document, which implicates the protection of privacy and security of an individual from the abuse of the facial recognition technique. The new rules are likely to strengthen the security measures further against the exploitation.

San Francisco is on track to become the first U.S. city to ban the use of facial recognition by police and other city agencies, reflecting a growing backlash against a technology that's creeping into airports, motor vehicle departments, stores, stadiums and home security cameras. Government agencies around the U.S. have used the technology for more than a decade to scan databases for suspects and prevent identity fraud. But recent advances in artificial intelligence have created more sophisticated computer vision tools, making it easier for police to pinpoint a missing child or protester in a moving crowd or for retailers to analyze a shopper's facial expressions as they peruse store shelves. Efforts to restrict its use are getting pushback from law enforcement groups and the tech industry, though it's far from a united front. Microsoft, while opposed to an outright ban, has urged lawmakers to set limits on the technology, warning that leaving it unchecked could enable an oppressive dystopia reminiscent of George Orwell's novel "1984."