FAQs

FRACT — the Facial Recognition Accreditation, Compliance & Technical Standard — is a voluntary, cross-sector governance standard setting the minimum requirements for the ethical, lawful and technically robust deployment of facial recognition technology in UK land-based gambling self-exclusion schemes.

FRACT is expressed through five principles that share its name: Fairness, Responsibility, Accuracy, Compliance and Transparency. They are the plain-language statement of what the standard requires, and they give effect to the six pillars of BS 9347:2024 on which FRACT is founded.

FRACT is designed to apply across all four UK land-based self-exclusion schemes — covering betting shops, casinos, bingo and adult gaming centres — rather than any single sector in isolation.

No. FRACT is voluntary. It does not replace existing legal obligations under UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 or the Gambling Commission’s requirements — it gives effect to them through a single, assessable standard.

FRACT is founded on the six pillars of BS 9347:2024, the British Standard for the ethical deployment of facial recognition. It adopts those pillars as its foundation. FRACT is its own accreditation standard and is not a certification against BS 9347:2024.

Facial recognition technology providers seeking to deploy their systems within self-exclusion schemes. Operators and scheme administrators rely on accredited providers to deliver deployments that meet the standard.

Yes. Human review is mandatory before any action is taken following a facial recognition match. No individual is ever subject to a consequential decision on the basis of a match alone.

FRACT requires strict data protection controls, including a mandatory data protection impact assessment, data minimisation, defined retention limits with prompt deletion of alert images, published privacy notices and venue signage at points of entry.

Accreditation is subject to annual reassessment, to review following any material change in the technology or the regulatory framework, and to ongoing compliance monitoring. It can be conditioned or withdrawn if the standard is no longer met.

Accreditation decisions are made by an independent, multi-scheme Governance Board with an independent chair, separate from the assessment teams. The Board maintains a published register of accredited providers and holds a formal channel to regulators.

Get in touch through the contact page and we will set out the application process and what accreditation involves for your organisation.