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Working groups

The Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group (BFEG) operates four Working Groups, established to manage resources, and effectively distribute work across the BFEG鈥檚 membership. The Working Groups cover the breadth of the BFEG remit as (HCWS1325), and are formed from the wider membership of BFEG based on expertise and interest.

These working groups were redefined at a BFEG awayday held in July 2024. The working groups are as follows:

• Home Office Biometrics Ethical Working Group
• Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies Working Group
• Police Ethics Advisory Group
• Biometrics and Facial Recognition Working Group

This page outlines a short summary of the remit of each of these groups, alongside publications of the terms of refence and an overview of working practice.

Home Office Biometrics Ethical Working Group

The Home Office Biometrics Ethical Working Group provides ethical guidance to in relation to the operation of the Home Office Biometrics Programme, which was initially developed to consolidate biometric holdings at the Home Office, upgrade biometric systems and build new database structures.

Home Office Biometrics Ethical Working Group Terms of Reference

Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies Working Group

The Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies Working Group provides guidance and makes recommendations to the Home Office on the ethical considerations associated with the development, use and implementation and review of advanced algorithms.

Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies Working Group Terms of Reference

Police Ethics Advisory Group

The Police Ethics Advisory Group provides ethical advice on technological or data matters for use by policing or the wider criminal justice system as directed by the Home Office or relevant national stakeholders.

Police Ethics Advisory Working Group Terms of Reference

Biometrics and Facial Recognition Working Group

The Biometrics and Facial Recognition Working Group provides ethical advice to the Home Office on the operation and governance of existing, new, and emerging biometric technologies for purposes that fall within the purview of the Home Office. There is an additional focus on facial recognition as a current technology of interest.

Biometrics and Facial Recognition Working Group Terms of Reference

Working practice

Each year BFEG is directly provided a commission from the Home Office which outlines the priority areas where advice will be sought for the upcoming year (this forms up to 70% of BFEG鈥檚 yearly workload). As such, across the year BFEG receives individual submissions from its policy sponsor seeking advice on matters within these commissioned areas. This methodology enables BFEG to provide specific and tailored advice into specific projects or policy matters.

BFEG additionally offers a free advisory service to the wider Home Office on matters within its remit which would benefit from expert ethical guidance and advice.

For a typical submission, BFEG鈥檚 working practice is as follows:

1. The Secretariat is approached for guidance and information on a work area/matter (henceforth 鈥榩roject鈥�).
2. The Secretariat meet with the project team to establish whether BFEG would be able to support.

If the project falls within scope:

1. The project team is asked to complete a submission form providing BFEG members an overview of the project and its drivers.
2. In conjunction with BFEG chair, the secretariat, and the working group chairs the submission is triaged and assigned to the relevant working group.
3. The working group will engage with the project team and provide advice in a flexible and iterative manner.

Note: BFEG can be flexible in the pace at which advice is provided, however, to manage capacity of its members a minimum of two weeks鈥� notice is generally expected for consideration of a project.

If the project falls outside of BFEGs scope:

1. The Secretariat will confirm with BFEG Chair and provide suggestions, as appropriate, to the project team on alternative methods of seeking ethical advice.

We welcome you to contact the secretariat at [email protected] if you would like to speak to the BFEG or if you have any questions.

Please be aware that the BFEG is advisory only. BFEG cannot 鈥榮ign-off鈥� work or provide a kite-marking function. BFEG is a scientific advisory committee, it is not a research ethics body.

To read more about BFEG, its function and its governance please visit the 鈥�about us鈥� page on BFEG鈥檚 188体育 website.