California Law Prohibits Facial Recognition on Police Body Cameras

California police departments won’t be allowed to use facial recognition software on body cameras for the next several years, under a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday.

The bill from Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, takes effect at the start of 2020 and expires after three years. Ting initially proposed a permanent ban on the technology, the Sacramento Bee reports.

It’s unclear whether a single law enforcement group in California uses facial recognition software in body cameras, but Ting has said he wanted to address a potential problem “before it became a major issue.”