Portland, OR Privacy & Surveillance: Facial Recognition Ban (2026)

City Code § 34.10.030 prohibits any private entity, a corporation, LLC, sole proprietor, or other private business, from using Face Recognition Technologies in a place of public accommodation within Portland, meaning stores, restaurants, and other businesses serving the public can't scan customers' faces. Exceptions cover legal-compliance uses, unlocking an employee's own device, and automatic face detection in social media apps (§ 34.10.040). The ban targets Private Entities specifically: it doesn't restrict the Portland Police Bureau or other City bureaus, whose surveillance technology use instead falls under the City Data and Privacy Office's oversight and reporting duties (City Code § 3.39.020), not a flat prohibition.