Face Int UK has published survey findings showing strong public support for facial recognition in banking, border control and policing, but weaker backing for broader use in settings such as retail and schools.

The poll of 2,000 UK adults found the strongest support for border control, where 81% favoured the deployment of facial recognition technology. Support was also high for use by police and security forces at 73%, for identity checks by banks at 71%, and for access to secured physical sites at 70%.

Consumer devices also attracted majority support, with 67% backing the use of facial recognition to unlock smartphones and laptops.

Support fell in settings where the case for using the technology appeared less settled. Only 54% supported its use by retailers for security purposes, while 47% backed its use in schools.

Just over half of those surveyed, 53%, said facial recognition should be limited to cases with a clear public benefit and strong safeguards.

The findings suggest a public mood that is more conditional than outright supportive or hostile, as businesses, police forces and public bodies continue to weigh how and where the technology should be introduced.

Selective support

The results indicate that respondents distinguish between security-led uses and more everyday or sensitive settings. Border control, banking checks and restricted-site access drew stronger support than retail surveillance or school use.

That pattern matters because facial recognition has become a broader policy and commercial issue in the UK. Police use has faced scrutiny from privacy campaigners and regulators, while retailers and supermarkets have also explored the technology for security and loss prevention.

For companies considering deployment, the research suggests that public acceptance may depend less on the technology itself than on the context in which it is used. Settings linked to security and identity verification appear to command more confidence than environments where the benefit is less obvious.

Face Int commissioned Opinium to carry out the online survey among a nationally representative sample of UK adults. The sample was weighted by age, gender, region, employment status and political views.

Industry view

Tony Kounnis, Chief Executive Officer of Face Int UK, said the findings showed a more complex picture of opinion than a simple divide between support and opposition.

He said: “Public attitudes towards facial recognition are far more nuanced than people often assume. It is too simple to say that people either support the technology or they do not.

“There is clear support for its use in environments where security is critical and the benefit is easy to understand, such as border control, banking and access to secured sites.

“But support is also highly conditional. People are making clear distinctions between how and where facial recognition technology is used, and they expect it to be deployed responsibly and with strong safeguards in place.

“That is an important message for businesses and public institutions alike. The use of facial recognition technology must be accompanied by a clear explanation of why it is being used, what problem it is solving and how people’s data is being protected.”

The survey comes as facial recognition remains a contested area of technology policy. Supporters argue it can help confirm identity, improve security and reduce fraud, while critics have raised concerns about privacy, oversight and the handling of biometric information.

The split in attitudes shown by the poll reflects that tension. Britons appear willing to accept facial recognition when the purpose is tightly defined, but less comfortable when it moves into settings that may feel more intrusive or harder to justify.

That distinction could shape how organisations present any rollout. The data suggests that public backing is tied to a clear explanation of the purpose, the setting and the safeguards around the use of personal data.

In practical terms, the strongest support lies in controlled environments where identity checks are already expected. Lower figures for retailers and schools indicate that any extension into more routine public spaces may face a tougher reception.

The most widely supported use in the survey was facial recognition at border control, backed by 81% of respondents.

Keates of Witney, which later traded as Blossom Bridal & Formal Dress Store, was officially dissolved and struck off the register on June 16.

The company was originally established as an independent menswear store trading in the heart of Witney Market Square in 1912.

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Over its 100 years, it expanded to also sell to the bridal market.

The old premises of Keates of Witney in the town’s Market Square, where it left in 2023 (Image: Google)

In 2019, then-manager of Keates, David Ferriman, announced the menswear department of the store would have to shut due to a ‘decline in support for shops on the high street from the general public’.

The men’s formal hire and Blossom Bridal & Occasion Wear continued trading on floors one and two of the shop in Market Square, but moved to a new premises in Carterton in December 2023.

This premises was called Blossom Bridal, focusing on the women’s retail side of the business, still trading under the same name, but with new management.

However, less than two years after the move, in June 2025, the new store announced it, too, would have to shut.

Blossom Bridal & Occasion Wear at the premises in Carterton it moved to in 2023, before its closure two years later (Image: Google)

A statement from the shop at the time said: “Due to rising operational costs and increasing online competition, we have made the incredibly difficult decision to close our doors.

“Our final day open to the public will be August 16.

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“We want to extend our deepest gratitude to every single person who has supported our small business over the years.

“Whether you found your dream dress with us, hired a suit, or simply cheered us on — thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You’ve made our journey truly special.”

The company, Keates of Witney, was officially dissolved via voluntary strike-off on June 16, 114 years after the original shop opened.

The Oxford Artisan Distillery, known as TOAD, traded for seven years from its site in an historic barn near South Park in Headington.

It ceased operations in Oxford in 2024, when the company scaled-up to its partner’s premises in Yorkshire to continue trading as The Yorkshire Distilling Company.

The Oxford Artisan Distillery (Image: TOAD)

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Original founder Tom Nicholson recently announced the triumphant return of Oxford’s first distillery to its original site, based in the grade II listed character bran, Cheney Barn in South Park, for summer next year.

A planning application lodged with Oxford City Council to retain the distilling premises, New Barn, for the purpose of reinstating the distillery was approved shortly after the business’ announcement.

The Oxford Spirit Group, the new outfit set to reopen the distillery, bought the barn and gained temporary permission to turn the building into a storage barn, while it got the distillery ‘up and running’.

Still Life: The official opening of The Oxford Artisan Distillery (TOAD). Founder Tom Nicolson and master distiller Cory Mason leading the first tour. Picture: Jon Lewis

The temporary permission lapsed, however, after plans for a new visitor centre at the site, including a restaurant, tasting room and bar, ‘became too big for the business at that stage’.

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Plans reveal that the company is now developing a new masterplan to include visitor facilities on a smaller-scale including dual function tasting and dining rooms, a reception, toilets, hospitality areas and a kiosk for users of South Park.

Oxford City Council granted permission for the company to retain the use of the distilling barn while the rest of the site is developed, for a further period of three years.

The distillery is expected to reopen in summer 2027 with a further planning application outlining full plans for the site expected to be submitted soon.

Founded in 2017 by Mr Nicholson, the company’s Oxford Rye Dry Gin was launched into more than 150 Waitrose stores across the country five years later in 2022.

The original planning application said: “The site comprises the remnants of a farm originally known as Headington Farm which then became Cheney Farm and it contains a derelict 18th century grade II listed Threshing Barn, alongside other more recently built buildings now occupied by TOAD.

“The Threshing Barn is the earliest standing building in the conservation area and dates from the 18th century.

“The adjacent farmyard buildings include a cowshed and the shelter shed which was originally open-fronted.”