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Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7124

Realigning Mobile Phone Biometrics for American Privacy Protection Act

Congress Proposes Ban on Homeland Security Facial Recognition Apps Outside of Border Crossings

4 months ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text
Part of: Democrats Push to Ban Biometric Surveillance by ICE and CBP

Legislative Progress

House
Senate
President
Law

Key Points

  • This proposal from Mr. Thompson of Mississippi would stop the Department of Homeland Security from using certain facial recognition apps on mobile phones in most places. These apps would only be allowed at official border crossings or international airports.
  • The Department would have to delete any photos or fingerprints of U.S. citizens that were already collected using these specific apps. They would also have to remotely disable the software on any phones that are not owned by the Department.
  • Under these rules, the Department would be banned from sharing these facial recognition tools with local police, state agencies, or other parts of the federal government.
  • If the government does use these apps at a border crossing to identify someone, they would be required to destroy that person's photos or fingerprints within 12 hours of capturing them.
  • This plan aims to increase privacy for Americans by making sure law enforcement cannot use these powerful tracking tools during routine daily life away from the country's borders.
Data PrivacyCivil RightsImmigrationNational SecurityTechnology

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Mixed Impacts(2)
Visa Holder
Neutral

Reduces surveillance in daily life but may still face facial recognition scans when entering or leaving the country at ports of entry.

Federal Employee
Neutral

DHS employees can only use these apps at ports of entry, limiting their enforcement tools but protecting civil liberties.

Positive Impacts(4)
Immigrant
Helps

Limits facial recognition tracking outside ports of entry, reducing surveillance during daily activities and interactions with immigration enforcement.

Undocumented
Helps

Restricts DHS use of facial recognition apps in communities, limiting identification and tracking capabilities away from borders.

Naturalized Citizen
Helps

Biometric data captured by these apps must be destroyed within 12 hours, protecting privacy rights of U.S. citizens.

Tribal Member
Helps

Prevents DHS from sharing facial recognition apps with tribal law enforcement agencies, limiting surveillance technology spread.

Milestones

3 milestones3 actions
Jan 16, 2026House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Jan 15, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Jan 15, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

News

news_articleCenter Left

Democrats fear body cameras could be ICE's new mass surveillance tool

Related Bills

No related bills have been identified yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Realigning Mobile Phone Biometrics for American Privacy Protection Act

Bill NumberHR 7124
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(5)
D: 5

Political Response

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.