Privacy & Surveillance in Cambridge, MA (2026)
2 verified privacy & surveillance rules for Cambridge, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Facial Recognition Ban
Cambridge outright bans city staff, including police, from obtaining, retaining, requesting, accessing, or using Face Recognition Technology or any information derived from it. The prohibition sits in the Surveillance Technology Ordinance, Municipal Code §2.128.075, and covers every city department.
Cambridge Facial Recognition Technology Ban
Heavy RestrictionsCambridge Municipal Code § 2.128.075
(A)Notwithstanding any other provision of this Chapter 2.128, it shall be unlawful for the City or any City staff to intentionally obtain, retain, request, access, or use:(1)Face Recognition Technology; or(2)Information obtained from Face Recognition Technology.(B)City staff's inadvertent or unintentional receipt, retention of, access of, or use of any information obtained from Face Recognition...
License Plate Readers
Cambridge treats automatic license plate readers as regulated Surveillance Technology under Municipal Code Chapter 2.128. Before police or any city department acquires, funds, or deploys ALPRs, the City Manager must get City Council approval of a Surveillance Technology Impact Report and use policy.
Cambridge ALPR Camera Council Approval
Significant RestrictionsCambridge Municipal Code § 2.128.030
(A)Acquisition of Surveillance Technology by City Departments Other than the Police Department...the City Manager must submit to the City Council a Surveillance Technology Impact Report...and obtain City Council approval before doing any of the following:(1)Seeking funds for Surveillance Technology, including but not limited to, applying for a grant, or accepting state or federal funds...(2)Acq...